


Wolf Moon

by PsychVamp



Series: Gendrya Month [3]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/M, First Meetings, Star-crossed, Were-Creatures, werewolf arya, werewolf hunter Gendry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23722912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychVamp/pseuds/PsychVamp
Summary: based on the prompt: The Starks are a family of werewolves, one of the only original families left in Westeros. So when one of their own is killed, Arya is set on revenge. While trying to find the people responsible, Arya finds Gendry, a regular human who hunts supernatural creatures, and her mate.
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Series: Gendrya Month [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1694665
Comments: 181
Kudos: 213





	1. A Chance Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> I changed up the prompt just a little bit but I had a clear idea for what I was going for. Also, the meet-cute in this I kind of stole from a different show/couple. Can anyone guess what show or couple? 
> 
> based on the week 3 prompt over at days-of-gendrya on tumblr
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Arya had always known who she was and what was expected of her as a member of the pack but that didn’t always mean it was easy. She had gone to school, made friends with the regulars, made sure she never really stood out. They didn't need anyone getting suspicious of them. After all, hunters were the last thing they needed to come to their little town. The pack had grown in the last few years with her older siblings finding their mates. Robb married Mrycella, another shifter, though she was a lion not a wolf like the Starks. Jon married Ygritte, who was a wolf, and had a fiery personality to match her hair. Sansa’s mate was banshee named Margery. Bran’s mate was a green seer named Jojen. She and Rickon were the only ones still without their mates, more acceptable for Rickon, who was 15, than it was for her at 21.

The Starks were one of the last original packs left in Westeros, having controlled the Northern territory for eons. That did not mean they were not without their rivals and sometimes those rivalries took their casualties. Her uncle Benjen had been killed, she knew it was the Bolton’s, and she would be getting her revenge. She just needed to plan it out first, going in without a plan against Ramsay Bolton was suicide. He might be a sadistic sociopath but he wasn’t an idiot. 

She was studying the plans for the Dreadfort at the desk when a sudden pounding on the front door of the clinic surprised her. She cursed herself for her lack of attention to her surroundings but rushed to the entrance, she was the one on-call for emergencies tonight and she needed to prepare for anything. Only something serious would have caused someone to come out in the downpour they were having tonight. 

A man was standing at the door, his black hair was plastered to his forehead but his blue eyes were cleared as he looked at her through the glass. She pushed the door open, “Can I help you?”

“This dog just came out of nowhere, I didn’t see him until the last possible second.” The man said quickly and gestured to his car.

“Okay, do you know where you hit? I can send someone out to get him.” She asked, trying to keep her voice calm in an attempt to calm him down.

“What?” He asked then shook his head, “Yes, but it doesn’t matter, the dog is in the trunk.”

“Show me.” She said and walked out into the rain, her scrubs were soaked by the time they walked the short distance. He opened the back of his Jeep and there, wet, whimpering and covered in blood was a golden retriever. He growled a bit when she moved forward but calmed when she used her influence, causing him to relax. She looked him over, “His leg is broken.” She scooped the dog up and looked at the man, “Get the door for me.”

He nodded, slammed his trunk closed once she was clear before opening the clinic door. She took the dog straight to the back and placed him on an exam table. She soothed him a bit more before turning and opening up the medicine cabinet, taking out the pain medication.

“Is he going to be alright?” The man asked, standing nervously nearby but far enough to not be in the way. 

“I will have to check for internal injuries but if it is just the leg, he will be fine.” She told him and took off her gloves, she held out her hand and smiled at him, “I am Arya by the way.”

He blinked at her a few minutes before saying, “Gendry, I just moved into town.”

She felt a tingling going up her arm as they shook and her smile grew, “Welcome to Winterfell. I am sure you are going to love it.” Mate, mate, mate was chanting in her head and she was happy for the realization.

“Not going to kick me out for hitting a dog on my second day in town?” He teased and ran his hand through his hair. 

_ He must not be a supernatural _ , she thought, and did a mental shrug, she had no trouble being with a human. It would just mean that it would take a little longer for the bond marks to form. She smiled at him again, “I think we can let it go, this time.”

He laughed and she loved it. He sighed, “Is there some paperwork I need to fill out for something? I feel really bad about this and I want to cover all the expenses.”

She reached over and pulled the scanner out of the drawer, hovering it over the back of the dog, the beep came up with numbers, “He has owners, I can get in contact with them.”

He shook his head, “I will leave my number. Let them know I feel terrible about this and will pay for it.”

She nodded and led him back out into the lobby. She went behind the desk and pulled out a notepad, handing it to him with a pad, “Write down your name and number and I will make sure they are aware of the offer when they come in.”

He quickly did as she said and handed it back to her. He looked at her a moment before saying, “Would it be wrong of me to want to ask for your number?”

She shook her head and quickly wrote her number on the bottom of the page before handing it to him. He looked at it before smiling at her again, “I will call you then yeah?”

“I hope so.” She replied and walked him out, locking the door behind him. She walked back to the desk as he pulled away. She picked up the note with his name and number, planning to put it into her phone when her heart dropped. He had written his whole name, Gendry Baratheon. She collapsed into the chair, her mate could not be a Baratheon. Why would the gods do such a thing to her? Baratheon’s were an ancient family of Westeros as well but they took a different path, they hunted supernatural creatures. Her mate would want to kill her if he found out about her. What was she to do?

* * *

Arya didn’t notice the mark until she was changing out of her work scrubs that morning, it was on her forearm and had been hidden by her sleeves. It was a paw print but the pad was the hoof of a deer instead. She sighed, it made sense. House Stark’s ancient sigil was a direwolf and house Baratheon’s was a stag. She couldn’t stop herself from tracing it because it was proof of what she already knew, Gendry Baratheon was her soulmate. As a human, his own mark would take a few more days to manifest, but it was only a matter of time before they shared it. 

She sat down on her bed, she had another decision to make now, what was she going to tell her family? They would be so excited that she had finally found her mate but then to learn that not only was he a hunter, but a Baratheon. She sighed, they had never had good luck with Baratheon’s. Especially not after her Father tried to need the feud by making friends with Robert Baratheon, only to have the hunter fall in love with her aunt, but they were not meant to be and Lyanna’s refusal of Robert had led to a new grudge. She wondered what Gendry’s relation to Robert might be, nephew perhaps, she hoped he wasn’t his son, but luck seemed to be against her.

She shrugged off her pants and climbed into the bed, she wanted to take a nap before she went to find some food. Maybe she could find the answers then.

* * *

Gendry stared at his phone, her number selected and a text message open. What did someone say to the vet tech you’d spent an hour with but felt instantly connected to? He absently scratched at his arm as he looked at the screen. Was a simple ‘Hi’ not enough? Was ‘How are you?’ too familiar? He had never had this trouble before, mostly because he had never been in this situation before. His Father was known for having a different woman in every city, or however the saying went. He was not his father. He had one maybe girlfriend in the past, a girl from his high school. They had gone on a handful of dates and made out heavily in his car a few times but it never had a chance to progress before she moved away. He hadn’t even been that upset about it, just a little disappointed for about a week. He let his father believe that he was a regular casanova, like himself, but the truth was, he had two one-night stands in his entire life. He wondered if that made him pathetic since he was 26.

He wanted things to be different with Arya, he just knew that something about her was special and he needed to know what it was. He took a deep breath and typed out, “Hey, its Gendry. I would really like to see you again.”

He pressed send before he could second guess his decision, after all, he planned to be in a long time, and having Arya around would make his seclusion here that much easier. 

His father had never liked them being anywhere around Winterfell. The ruling family of the area, the Starks, had long been in a fued with the Baratheons. His father told him he had tried to mend that rift by befriending Ned Stark, but things fell apart after he had fallen in love with Lyanna Stark but she had rejected him for another. Gendry had no time for decades old feuds, he had a job to do and he would do his best. The death of Benjen Stark had been his first lead into a string of deaths that seemed very much like work of werewolves, sadistic ones. The primary wounds of the victims had been clear werewolf wounds but he had never heard of them flaying the skin of their victims before. His father had wanted to venture North, because of the Starks, but Gendry defied him and moved up here on his own. 

Arya was going to be the best thing about his decision, he could already tell. He looked at his phone, still no response but she had been working last night, and it was barely past 9am now. He put the phone aside and got up to go over to his desk. The research he did was laid out, a large map of the North showing the locations of the flayed victims as well as some animal kills that fit the description of a werewolf kill. There was something he was missing here, he knew it, but he couldn’t figure out what.


	2. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya and Gendry goes on their first date, certain truths are revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have decided to continue this story after all the lovely comments, I have not yet decided how long this will be. Hope you enjoy!!

Arya woke up slowly, her eyes adjusting to the filtered afternoon light through her curtains. It only took a moment for her to reach for the phone on her desk, ignoring the ‘do not disturb’ reminder at the time and instead focusing on the text message that awaited her.

**Gendry 913am: Hey, its Gendry. I would really like to see you again**

**Gendry 1046am: Can we meet up for dinner?**

**Gendry 1048am: Assuming you aren’t working of course**

She smiled, usually she would be annoyed at receiving three texts without her responding in the meantime, but his nervous energy came through and instead she found it cute. The smile faded as she remembered he was a Baratheon, the ultimate enemy of her family. But, he was also her mate, someone she had been waiting her entire life to find. She’d even been saving herself for him, not seeing the point in dating other people when she knew it couldn’t last. She brought her hand up and rubbed her eyes, why couldn’t she have an easy mate? As she lowered her arm she saw the mark and immediately texted him back.

**Arya 232pm: I would love to have dinner with you tonight. Do you like burgers or fried chicken? There is a great burger and fried chicken joint by the lake.**

She turned off the ‘do not disturb’ and went to put the phone down but before it left her hand it buzzed with a text.

**Gendry 233pm: I love burgers. How about we met there at 6?**

She smiled, and responded with a ‘sounds great’. She let out a contented sigh and walked into the bathroom. She was in desperate need of a shower, usually she did that before sleeping but everything that had happened the night before had led her basically collapsing onto her bed.

She let the warm water wash over her, trying to keep her thoughts away from the man she would be seeing in about three hours. She knew her strong reaction was due to their bond and while that had always unnerved her in the past, now it only brought her a sense of belonging. 

She did the full shower experience, shaved her legs and trimmed the hair between her legs. She had no intention of sleeping with him on the first date but he had thrown her entire life out of its trajectory and she had no idea how this night would go. It was also for this reason that as soon as she finished the shower she stripped the bed and put on a fresh set of sheets. But she was getting ahead of herself, she had never had more than a kiss stolen during a game of truth or dare at sixteen in terms of experience. She wondered if that, at the very least, would change tonight.

She rubbed lotion on her freshly shaved legs, her thoughts curious as to how his large hands might feel running over them instead. Her mate, the father of her future pups, and that thought stalled all her movements. The sudden wash of understanding rushed over her and she sat on the bed, placing her head in her hands and let out a frustrated scream.

* * *

She had collected herself by the time it was time to head over to meet him, a plan firmly in place. They would eat dinner out on the patio, it was looking to be a beautiful night and the restaurant also kept anti-bugs candles on hand. After dinner, they could take a stroll around the lake, maybe go to the fishing outlook if no one was night fishing. There was a little bench there for the fishermen, they could take a seat there and she would tell him everything. The truth about herself and her family. The importance of mates and what it meant for their future.

She had worn a pair of dark wash jeans and one of her nicer t-shirts, one without a band name or saying. It was a pale satin like material, she had never been on a date, so she hoped it would be appropriate. She couldn’t ask her sisters, they all knew her stance on dating however, so even a simple question as “what is a good shirt to wear on a date?” would have raised suspicions. She couldn’t tell them about Gendry, not until after they had talked about everything between just the two of them first.

She pulled her little red Nissan into a parking spot and smiled, he was already there, waiting for her by the walkway to the entrance. He was dressed in jeans and a form fitting black plain t-shirt, and she relaxed, at least they had the same opinion on first date clothes for a local restaurant.

She grabbed her purse and slipped out of the car. She kept her eyes on him as she walked closer, the beep of her car lock causing him to look her way. She watched as his smile lit up his face when he took her in, his eyes moving over her slowly, almost as if he was memorizing her body. She was doing the same and her heart had never felt so light.

“Hey.” He said, meeting her at the halfway point, “You look great.”

“You don’t look so bad yourself.” She replied, smiling at him, “Didn’t have any trouble finding the place?”

He shook his head, “I actually just live on the other side of the lake, so I just walked over.”

“Are you renting one of the cabins?” She asked as they began walking toward the front door.

He nodded, “Just temporarily until I can find a more permanent place.”

He pulled open the door and let her enter first, it was nice to see he was a gentleman. 

The hostess greeted them and showed them out to a patio seat, the restaurant was about half full she noticed, and she was happy to get a patio seat. They were usually the first ones to go on the good weather days.

Gendry picked up the menu, his eyes going over the options, “You weren’t kidding when you said burgers and fried chicken.”

She chuckled, “They have chicken fingers and hot dogs on the kids menu, but yeah, otherwise those are the only two options really.”

He nodded, his eyes reading over the menu. He looked over to her, “What do you recommend?”

“Are you looking for a burger or chicken recommendation?”

“Burger.” He said after a moment of consideration.

“The BBQ burger and the Mushroom Swiss are my favorite.” She replied.

He crinkled his nose, “Mushrooms?”

She tilted her head, “Do you hate mushrooms?”

“I do.” He said with a little laugh, “A BBQ burger I could get behind though.”

She smiled, and their waitress appeared, she let out a quiet swear.

“Oh, hi Arya.” The brunette said, “What would you like tonight?”

“Hey, Wyla.” Arya replied, “I’ll have a Pinewolf beer and the mushroom swiss burger.”

“Pinewolf beer?” Gendry asked, causing both women to look at him.

“Its a local brew.” Arya answered.

“I’ll try one as well and the BBQ burger please.” He said with a nod and a smile as he handed Wyla the menu.

“What temp would you like it?” Wyla asked, her eyes taking him in.

“Medium.” He responded.

She gave him a flirty smile, “I will put in it and get those beers.”

Arya frowned as she walked off and let a sigh.

Gendry turned to her, his brows raised in questions, “Problem?”

“I forgot she worked here. Her older sister and mine are best friends. It won’t be long now before I get a text from her.” She answered honestly.

“Is that a problem?”

She shook her head, “I don’t date, so it just be the shock is all.”

“Why don’t you date?” He asked, leaning forward and looking at her as if he was eagerly waiting for her response.

Wyla chose that moment to return with the beer, “Anything else you guys need?”

“We are good, thanks Wyla.” She said, making the ‘fuck off’ clear in her tone.

Wyla gave her a customer service smile and flounced over to one of her other tables.

“So?” Gendry asked once they were alone, “Why?”

She took a chug of her beer before asking, “Do you believe in soulmates?”

“Soulmates?” He repeated, “Like, there is one person out there dedicated by the gods or whatever for us to be with?

She nodded, “Exactly, only some cultures think it is more than that.”

He took a sip of his own beer, “This is good.”

“I’m glad you like it.” She assumed that was his way of changing the subject.

“You believe in soulmates I am guessing.” He said, “Do you think I am yours?”

She shrugged, even though her mind shouted ‘yes’, “I felt an instant connection to you, the kind that I had never experienced before. I thought it was at least worth a dinner to see.”

He was silent, taking another drink from his beer, “I felt it too, the connection.”

She smiled, that made her happy, it might make the talk she planned to have with later all the easier.

Wyla returned with their burgers, she smiled at Arya friendly enough but she gave extra attention to Gendry, placing her burger down seductively. Arya hadn’t even been aware that such a thing was possible, but she was a witness. Gendry seemed completely oblivious to the flirtatious nature of their waitress, it had her smile internally.

“Thank you Wyla.” Arya said, the waitress almost walking off in huff.

Gendry took a large bite of his burger, his eyes smiling as he chewed. He swallowed, “You were right, this is very good.”

“Glad I could be of assistance.” She replied and then tucked into her own burger.

They ate in comfortable silence, both finishing off their burger first before going for the side of shoestring french fries. 

“What made you come to Winterfell?” She asked between bites.

“Work.” He answered simply, “My company is thinking of expanding into this area. I am here to check out the area, see if it would be a good fit.”

“What kind of work?”

“Have you heard of Stag’s Head Designs?”

She nodded, it was a high end furniture company. She browsed the website a few times but they did not ship this far north.

“My Father is the owner of the company, it was my idea to come here. I thought it was odd we had no stores up here.”

“So, your father is Robert Baratheon?” She asked, a pit sinking in her stomach.

He nodded, “Yeah, unfortunately.”

“Unfortunately?” She said, finishing off her fries and taking another sip of her beer.

“We don’t really get along, we have differing….life philosophies.” He replied after taking a pause to think about it.

She raised her eyebrows, “Would it be wrong of me to ask what those philosophies are?”

He chuckled, “Mostly in regards to women. I have five siblings, that I know of, and we each have a different mother. I don’t see how the number of women I have taken to bed relates to anything important about my manhood.”

“I had heard that about him.” She answered, taking the time to finish off her beer as well.

She waved Wyla over, “We are ready for the check.”

“Together or seperate?” She asked.

“Together.” Gendry answered, already reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet. He pulled out a card and handed it to her, “My treat.”

Arya smiled at him, she was not one of those women who expected the man to pay, but she appreciated the gesture. “Thank you.”

“I wouldn’t feel right about it if I didn’t pay for our first date.” Gendry said, giving her a full smile.

“So, this is a date?” She replied, her tone and smile teasing.

He seemed confused for a few seconds before he caught on, “Yes, very much so.”

Wyla returned with his card and a polite smile, “You two have a goodnight.”

“Thank you, you as well Wyla.” Arya replied.

She walked off and Gendry signed the receipt. He stood up and she followed his lead, walking out through the patio exit toward the parking lot.

She took a risk and grabbed his hand, leading him away from the cars, and toward the walk around the lake.

* * *

Gendry was enjoying this evening immensely, he had never felt so at ease with a stranger before. He felt like he could tell her anything and she would be understanding. He wondered if that feeling would be correct if he were to tell her about his real job, not the cover they used when traveling from place to place. He would wait for that though, that was not a first date conversation.

She had slipped her hand into his and led him down the path that wrapped around the lake, he had used the same path to get to the restaurant. She pulled off when they reached a short dock that extended out to a fishing platform. He had noticed a few of them around the circumference of the lake.

The night was clear, the half moon reflecting off the lake and giving them enough light to see by. She chose a bench and sat down, her hand tugging him down beside her.

“I thought we could have a little privacy here. No nosy waitresses popping up to try and steal your attention.” Arya said, her grey eyes almost seeming to glow silver in the growing moonlight.

“Was she? I didn’t even notice.” He answered honestly, and he hadn’t, his attention was only for the beautiful woman at his side. He looked down at their joined hands and noticed a tattoo on the inside of her arm. He pointed at it, “That is a unique tattoo.”

She quickly jerked her head to look at it, “Oh, yeah, it has special meaning.”

Her tone seemed almost nervous, as if he would judge her for something like a tattoo, “I like it.”

“That’s good.” She answered, giving him a smile before taking a deep breath, “I have a confession to make. I recognized your last name.”

He nodded, “Lots of people do.”

She shook her head, “Not because of Stag’s Head. My father is Eddard Stark.”

His eyes widened in surprise, he had not been planning for that, but he kept a firm grip on her hand. He wasn’t going to let some stupid fued between their families stop whatever he is feeling, “I am guessing from the way you said that, that your father is the same Eddard Stark my father has been fighting with for nearly 30 years.”

She nodded, “The very same.”

“I am also guessing that is why you didn’t tell your sister you were going out on date with me?” He ventured.

She nodded again, “Many of siblings think that our families are fueding for a stupid reason. My aunt was never meant to be with your father and when she found her soulmate and married him, your father did not take it well.”

He shook his head with a laugh, “I knew the true story was probably not what he said.”

She furrowed her brows, “What does your father say is the reason for the fued?”

“That your father hated the idea of your aunt being with a man like him, so he forced her to marry the other guy to keep them apart.” He replied, and shook his head once again, “I never really believed it. Wouldn’t have guessed soulmates though.”

“I told you, some cultures believe in them.” She said.

He smiled at her, “I could become convinced.”

Her smile was captivating and he found himself leaning forward without conscious thought. She met him halfway, their lips falling against each other. It started out slow and tentative, both of them relishing the moment. He brought up the hand not still wrapped in her own to cup her face, directly to change the angle so he could deepen the kiss. He had never felt such a feeling of contentment as he did now, feeling her lips against his own. 

She pulled back first, smiling at him like no other woman ever had, “I could get used to that.”

“Me too.” He said before bringing her back for a shorter but no less sweet kiss.

“I need to confess something to you.” She said suddenly, while they caught their breath, their foreheads pressed together.

“I’m listening.”

She took a deep breath, “I know why you are really here and who you really are.”

He pulled back from her, looking her over, “What? How?”

“I promise that I will never hurt you.” She said first, confusing him even more before she closed her eyes and said, “I’m a werewolf.”

His breath caught in his throat, how could it be that the first woman he’d ever really wanted was the thing he was here to hunt. He was about to call her a liar, his gut reaction when she opened her eyes, gone were the grey eyes he’d lost himself in earlier, instead they were glowing gold.

“I am telling you this Gendry because we are soulmates. I knew it the moment we spoke and this,” She pointed to her tattoo, “Is the proof. You’ll get one too and know what I say is the truth.”

He stood up from the bench, walking to the railing and looking at the rippling water, “This cannot be happening.”

He heard her steps as she approached, he knew that he should be afraid, but his body did not agree with this brain. She did not touch him again, simply leaned against the railing as well, her eyes back to normal. Everything about her was the same it was before the kiss, he could almost forget she had ever spoken of werewolves.

“Gendry, please say something.” She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He didn’t look at her, “What do you want me to say? That was a lot of information to receive in 30 seconds.”

“Anything.” She answered.

He turned his head to her, “You said you know who I really am, why did you agree to be alone with me? I have a knife in my pocket, if I wanted I could take out right now and kill you.”

“You haven’t done that and you won’t.” Her voice was so full of conviction that had him wishing to touch her again.

“How can you be so sure?” He asked, his voice now the one that was whispering.

“”That connection we spoke of, the one we both feel.” She took a step closer, “That is our soulbond calling out to each other. We are two pieces of a whole, to hurt the other would just be hurting ourselves.”

He felt his breath shake as she stopped only a few inches from her, no sign of fear in her eyes or body language, “We are enemies.”

“Your family has hunted my kind for thousands of years, maybe the gods have grown tired of the fighting.” She said, and he was amazed she seemed to have all the answers.

“I…..I….” He pushed away from her, walking to the other side of the platform, “This cannot be happening right now. We cannot be soulmates!”

“We are.” She said, but made no move to approach him, “Look at your arm.”

He was too confused to do anything but what she suggested, there, on his left arm was the matching tattoo that he had seen on her’s. He rubbed at it, expecting it to be some trick, but he couldn’t even feel a difference on his skin, like it was a part of him. He looked up at her, “What kind of magic is this?”

“I am a werewolf, not a witch. The only magic used is the one the gods have granted to each of us to be marked as mates.” She gave him a small smile, “I cannot force you to believe anything I say but if you look within yourself, you will feel the truth.”

He paced for a moment before he turned to her, “What does feel the truth even mean?”

She shook her head, “I cannot tell you, you will know.” She stepped forward, once again stopping just before she reached him, “I know what I feel for you.”

He wanted to push her away and run back to his cabin but instead he grabbed her by upper arms and pulled her closer, once again slanting his lips over hers. Her hands gripped his hips and closed the short distance still between them until their bodies were flush. He felt like this head was swimming, like he was drowning in her. 

Before he could sink to the bottom, a generic phone ringtone broke the silence, causing Arya to pull back from him with huff. She walked back over to the bench and pulled the phone out of her purse, she silenced the call before she raised her head to look back at him. He had no doubt that the same vulnerable look was reflected on his own face. He took a deep breath but whatever he meant to say, he wasn’t even exactly sure what it would have been, was interrupting the ringing once again.

Arya looked down at the object in her hand, “She won’t stop until I answer, just one minute.”

He watched as she turned around and held the phone to her ear, “I am busy right now Sansa, whatever you want is going to have to wait.”

It was her sister, he assumed, the one who was friends with their waitress’s sister. He watched as she listened to whatever it was her sister had to say and panicked. He had no idea what he was going to say to her, this was all too much. He knew it was a shit move, but he let his feet take over and he walked away. She was busy yelling at her sister and did not hear his footsteps, he needed to think. He needed space to think, she was too distracting. He’d text her later to apologize.

* * *

Arya turned around, ready to apologize for taking so long with her sister, but she was alone on the fishing platform. She sighed and took a seat on the bench once more. She had overwhelmed him, she knew it. The passionate kiss had been due to his emotions on overdrive. Sansa’s call had given him the perfect out and he’d taken it. She could follow him back to his cabin, try to continue the conversation, but he had left for a reason. She tucked her phone back into her purse as she got to her feet. No, she would give him the time to think. Hopefully he wouldn’t take too long to contact her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't be afraid to let me know what you are thinking. I always love hearing from you!!


	3. The Knock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya and Gendry move forward in their relationship, in more way than one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. I had to finish writing my contribution for the Gendrya Big Bang which should post in the next two weeks. 
> 
> Hopefully the events of this chapter make up for the wait!

It had been three days now since she saw him and he had not texted her or called her. She knew that everything she had to him was a lot to process but she had hoped he would come to understand and reach out. A knock on the door shook her from her thoughts. Placing down the beer she’d been drinking, she got up to see who was at the door. She made a bet with herself as she crossed the space that it was Sansa. Arya had this far succeeded in dodging her sister’s attempts at conversion about her date but she knew it was only a matter of time before the redhead tried a different tactic. With a sigh she opened the door to her condo, only the blue eyes she was met with were not the ones she had been expecting to see. She was so shocked at him being there that all the air left her lungs.

He gave her tentative smile and spoke, “Hi. I’m sorry for just stopping by. I wanted to talk and didn’t think doing it over the phone would be the best way to go about.”

She continued to stare at him, and for some reason the first things she said was, “How did you know where I lived?”

He blushed and looked away, “We have….ummm…..we might have access to some programs that let us find people’s personal information.”

She blinked a few times before saying, “You background checked me?”

He nodded and looked around, “Could I maybe come in?”

She didn’t answered him, just merely opened the door wider and allowed him entry. He stopped just inside and pointed down to hsi shoes, she nodded, and he took them off. He left them next to the door and took the few steps into her living room. It was nothing special, a large couch took up almost one whole wall. Another wall was just an electric fireplace bookended by two windows. The third wall held two bookcases with a television between them. A fourth half wall had a small table and a large dog bed. 

He turned around and smiled at her, “You have a dog?”

She nodded, “Nymeria, I am surprised she didn’t come down when you knocked on the door.”

“Arya…..I am sorry for not talking to you until now, there….there was a just a lot to process.”

She nodded, “Take a seat, can I get you a water or a beer?”

“What are you having?” He asked, sitting on the far end of the couch.

“A beer.” She replied.

“Me too then.” He said, and she had to stop herself from being drawn into his blue eyes.

She turned and went to the kitchen, bypassing her small dining room. She mostly needed this as an excuse to give herself a moment to think. She had been so focused on his absence that now that he was here, she didn’t know what to do. She sighed and took out two beers from the fridge, she opened them off and faked a smile as she walked back.

What she had not been expecting to see was Nymeria with her head in Gendry’s lap as he patted her head, her tail moving back and forth across the floor. She almost dropped the beers in her disbelief. Nymeria hated strangers, it was one the reasons she could come with her to work. She only allowed members of the pack to touch her, but here she was, content with Gendry’s presence and touch. She wondered if Nymeria could sense that Gendry was Arya’s mate and therefore a member of the pack.

Gendry looked up at her from his place on the couch, “What did you say her name was again?”

“Nymeria.”

Gendry smiled down at the dog once more, “You are a pretty girl Nymeria, are you going to sail a thousand ships across the Narrow Sea?”

Arya moved and sat on the other side of the couch and handed him his beer, “Fan of ancient history are you?”

“I always liked that story in school.” Gendry replied with a smile, “What about you?”

“I liked that Nymeria was a woman of power who chose to save her people when she knew the battle was lost. She was compassionate but smart, she turned Dorne to the kingdom that had the ability to fight off the dragons. She might not have been able to do it in her homeland but her ancestors managed it here.” Arya answered, and then shrugged, “When I got her, that was the first name to come to mind.”

“She seems great.” Gendry replied before Nymeria seemed to have enough and went to lay down on her bed.

Arya let them have a few moments of silence before she said, “I am sure you have many questions. I will answer anything you want honestly.”

“I did some research. Soulmates are a real thing, but only among the supernatural community, why would that include me?” He asked, his hands slowly moving his beer in his hands.

“I have a theory.” She said quietly, “It might make me seem crazy though.”

“Please, I want to hear it.” He asked, turning his body to look at him.

“I think that the gods want our families to make peace.” She told him, not looking at him as she spoke, “I think that they saw something in us that made them decide that we were the two that could stop the bloodshed.”

“I’ve never put much stock in the gods.” He answered her.

“Is it not the myth of house Dondarrion that Durran married Eleni, the daughter of the Storm god, and did not house Dondarrion become house Baratheon at the time of Aegon’s conquest. You have the magic of blood in your veins, that is probably what makes the Baratheon the best hunters of the supernatural. While not supernatural yourself persay, you have a sense for when it is near.”

“If that is true, why did not I sense you? Or how did my father never sense your father or aunt?” He asked, having leaned toward her on the couch.

She shook her head, “I cannot reveal all our secrets, not until you tell me what you have decided.”

“I’ve thought about it and I cannot not stop thinking about you.” He told her, “I do not know what we are going to do about our families however.”

“We can worry about that another time.” She said and leaned closer to him, the space between them almost non existent, “I want you to know that if we do this, there is no going back.”

He smirked, “Why do you think I would want to leave?”

She shook her head, “No, you don’t understand. If we mate, then it means we have accepted the bond, and it will intensify, until it would physically pain us to be apart for too long.”

“Is that what it means to be soulmates?” He whispered, not pulling away.

She nodded, “I just want you to be prepared. It is more intense than anything you have experienced in the past.”

“It already is.” He said quietly, reach forward and cupping her cheek, “I am in this for the long haul Arya. I cannot even tell you how I know, probably the whole soulmate thing, but I know this right thing, to be here with you.”

Arya leans forward and kisses him, and she feels like this what her lips were meant to be doing. She also notices how Gendry lets her take control, one hand remaining on the side of her head and the other resting on her knee. She moved both her hands to his shoulders, and pushed him back against the back of the couch and then moved to straddle his lap. His hands instantly went to her hips and gripped her tightly. She began to move her hips, grinding down onto his crotch, his arousal clear. 

His hand stalled her hips, and he pulled back from the kiss, “Arya, tell me how far you want to go. I don’t want to push you into anything you are uncomfortable with.”

She smiled at his thoughtfulness, but she had been waiting for him almost her entire life, she was more than comfortable with him. She leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss, “Gendry, I have never been with anyone before. I wanted to wait for my soulmate, you could never make me feel uncomfortable.”

“If I had known about you, I would have waited too.” He told her, and she knew the surge of jealousy was uncalled for, he had no obligation to her, “I will promise though, that you will be the last. Those other two don’t matter.”

One of his hands moved up from her hip to her the base of her breast and back down again, and she leaned into his touch, “You’ll have to be gentle with me.”

He hummed and captured her lips in a kiss again, “Whatever you need, I shall give you. Should we go to your bed?”

She smiled and nodded before getting to her feet, holding out her hand for him to take. They walked up the stairs hand in hand, Nymeria watching their ascent but making no move to follow. Gendry closed the bedroom door behind him and then the next things she knew, she was laying on her back on the bed and he was on top of her. Their kisses were slow and sensual, and Arya thought she was going to never want to leave the bed after this.

* * *

Gendry laid in her bed and looked over her naked back, he couldn’t resist the urge to run his finger up her spine. She shivered under his touch and her grey eyes open. She smiled at him, “Hey.”

“Hey.” He said as well, and leaned forward to steal a small kiss, “How are you feeling?”

“A little sore but nothing I can’t handle. If I had known sex was like that, maybe I wouldn’t have waited so long.” She teased.

He chuckled, “In my very limited experience, it is never like that.”

Her smile was soft as she said, “It is because we are destined to be.”

“I am liking the sound of that.” He told her, relaxing back into the pillows, his hand not stopping its movement along her back.

A small frown crossed her features and she propped herself up, “I didn’t hurt you did I? Let me see your back.”

He frowned as well but did as she requested, as he moved he felt the pinch of open cuts. Once on his stomach, she felt her finger prod at a few points, which caused him to wince. 

“Shit, I am so sorry. I’ll be right back.” She said and he felt her weight leaving the bed.

He heard the water running from the sink in the bathroom, as well as the slamming of a drawer. Then, the bed moved with her return. Her hand was on his back again, “I am going to use so disinfectant, it might sting a bit.”

“It is fine. What did you do to my back?” He said, turning his to the side so he could somewhat see her.

Her cheeks were blushed red, she placed a cloth to his skin and it burned a moment, she continued her work as she said, “I think my claws came out while you were on top of me. Your back is pretty scratched up. I didn’t mean too, I swear.”

He turned and reached for her hand with his own, “Hey, it is okay. Nothing a little rubbing alcohol won’t cure.” He brought her hand forward and kissed the knuckles, “It must have been good though if I made you lose control.”

She pulled her hand away and slapped his shoulder, “Don’t get a full head about it.”

He laid back down on his stomach, “I take pleasure if the fact that I brought my mate pleasure.”

Her hands paused and he could hear the joy in her voice when she said, “You called us mates.”

“You said that doing this would complete the bonding. I accept all that it entails.” He said and then she was laying down beside him again.

“Can I ask you something?” She said after a few moments of them just staring at each other.

“Anything.”

“Why did you come to Winterfell?”

“There have been mysterious deaths all over the North. The latest one, while it didn’t fit the pattern I had been tracking, was here, and I wanted to start with the newest victim and work my way backwards.” He told her, knowing that eventually all the truth would come out anyway, and she knew what his true job was.

“Benjen’s murder brought you here.” She said, and anger flashed in her eyes.

He nodded, “I assume he is your family, given the name.”

“My uncle.” She said, her eyes falling closed.

They fell into a silence, as he did not know what to say, he felt as though ‘I am sorry for you loss’ was not the thing she wanted to hear.

Her eyes flashed open at him, a hint of the golden glow hidden at the edges of her beautiful grey eyes, “I know who killed him, and those girls that are the pattern you spoke of. I have been trying to convince my pack to do something about it for awhile now, but they don’t want to start a war.”

He placed a hand on her hip, both of them still completely naked on the bed, and answered, “If you tell me who it is, my family and I can take care of it. No one needs to know you were ever involved.”

She shook her head, “You misunderstand me. I want to help you kill the monster responsible for all of this, he is done terrorizing the North for his own sadistic pleasure.”

He nodded, it was not his place to tell her no, not when he was going to do the exact thing he would be stopping her from doing. That was not the right way to begin their lifelong partnership, “Who is he? Together, we can take care of him.”

Her eyes flashed the full gold for a moment, they had done the same when she had come beneath him earlier, and it was just as stunning now as it had been then, “Ramsay Bolton.”

* * *

Arya looked over papers that were spread over the kitchen table at his cabin, the amount of detail he had put into this research for the area was impressive. He had even identified a few possible suspects and Ramsay was on of them, thanks to the few assaults that even his father’s money could not completely erase. 

She picked up the folder for her uncle, it looked no different than the other dozen folders on the table, only that this one had a picture of him on the front. It was his driver’s license photo she thought, and she smiled at the sight of him. He had not looked nearly the same after Ramsay had finished with him.

Gendry came up behind her and wrapped his body around her, laying his head on her shoulder, “We shall get the justice for your uncle that the police cannot.”

She nodded and laid the folder down, and picked up another. It was Jeyne Poole’s face looking back at her, Sansa’s once childhood best friend, and Arya’s bully. Jeyne had been Ramsay’s ninth victim, as far as any of them knew. It had been the one that had truly intinced Arya to action, not because it was Jeyne in particular, but because Arya felt they could have prevented it had they taken action. They had not caught on to what Ramsay was doing until body number seven, and that was a failure on their part. After the eighth, Arya knew it was Ramsay for certain and told her father as such. He reached out to Ramsay’s father Roose to handle things inside his own pack, that he had not done anything.

Sansa had started demanding justice as well, after the death of her friend, but still their father had not been willing to take the drastic action that was needed. Benjen had been on their side and gone to spy on the Boltons, she could only assume that Ramsay and his goons had found him.

She gently put down the folder and turned around in his arm, leaning up to give him a gentle kiss, “Thank you.”

“For what?” He said against her lips.

“Not trying to discourage me, for supporting me, even if we have only known each other for such a short time.” She said, and she meant every word.

He smiled at her, “The gods designed us to be together, what purpose could I have to discourage you? We shall do it together, it is far too dangerous alone, for either of us. If all you’ve said of Ramsay and his followers are true, which I have no doubt they are.”

“We will need more help.” She said and closed her eyes while taking a deep breath, “How would you like to come to dinner tomorrow and meet my pack?”

“You’ll have to help pick out the perfect first impression for me.” He said, his blue sparkling with mischief.

She smirked, “Best take me to your bedroom then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if there were any grammar mistakes, I finished it and wanted to get out before I head to work. Don't be afraid to let me know your thoughts.


	4. Meeting the Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya brings Gendry over a family dinner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for all the wonderful comments!!! I do truly love every single one.

Arya wished that she didn’t have to leave that morning, she was so comfortable in his bed and his arms. But she did have a short shift at the clinic and she hasn’t brought any food for Nymeria over to Gendry’s cabin. Even though she has brought the wolf, expecting to not want to leave his side after their mating. 

She gently reached up and stroked his face, he was peaceful as he slept. She would even say beautiful. His blue eyes slowly opened, capturing her in their ocean deeps. He smiled, “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” She replied with a smile and a kiss, she could get used to mornings like this.

“Do you have work today?” He asked, his hand stroking up and down her back.

She nodded, “I need to leave soon. Have to drop Nymeria off at the house and get my scrubs.”

“Tell your family you’ll be bringing a Baratheon to dinner?” He added on after she’d finished.

“Yeah, that too. I don’t know whether to tell my mother or my sister first, both will spread the news for me.” She sighed, “I know they will be happy I found my mate but….”

“You worry about how well they’ll take the Baratheon part. Would they assume you’ve told me everything?”

“I don’t know.” She buried her head in his chest, “I know they would never physically harm you, out of their love for me, but words can be hurtful too.”

“I’ve grown used to hearing terrible things said about me. I wasn’t always a Baratheon by name, Robert didn’t claim me until I was ten years old and I had been in the foster system for three years by then. I can take whatever criticism they can throw my way.” He told her and she realized how just little they actually knew one another. They had the rest of their lives to fix that of course but the thought still stung a bit all the same.

A ringtone went off on the nightstand and Gendry handed her the phone, Sansa’s name on display, she took breath and answered it on speaker, “Good morning Sansa, why are you calling me so early?”

“Early? It is almost 10.” Sansa replied, “I know you work at 1130 and I wanted to catch you beforehand. You have ignored me long enough, tell me all about what made you go on a date for the first time in your life?”

Arya laughed, “You know my policy Sansa.”

The line was silent for a moment before Sansa screamed, “Arya Stark did you meet your fucking soulmate and wait three days to tell me?”

“His name is Gendry, I am bringing him to dinner tonight so everyone can meet him.” She answered, ignoring her sister’s statement.

“You are the most annoying person in my life.” Sansa replied, but then sighed, “I will forgive you for me ignoring me this week because I assume you’ve been with your mate. I remember how much Marg and I were all over each other when we first got together.”

“That’s great Sansa.” Arya replied blushing at the thought of how the last 16 hours or so had actually fit that description, “I’ve got to get ready for work now. Think you can tell mom to expect me and Gendry for dinner tonight?”

“This is just so great Arya, I am so happy for you.” Sansa said and the affection was clear in his voice, “Oh, what is he?”

Gendry looked at her with confusion but didn’t say anything.

“He is human actually.” Arya told her sister.

“Really? Of course you would have a rare bond.” Sansa said with a laugh, “Mom is going to freak. I am going to call her right now.”

“Bye Sansa.” She said with a shake of her head.

“Bye, love you.” Sansa said quickly before hanging up the phone.

Gendry kissed her neck, surprising her enough to jump a little and elicit a chuckle from him, “She seemed nice.”

“She is. Sansa is the one mostly likely to be on our side when everything comes out.” She replied and sighed, “I do really need to get going.”

He nodded, “I understand. What time should I pick you up?”

“Dinner is at 6, if you come over at 5 we can get some time alone before we go.” She said and leaned into him, giving him a long lingering kiss.

“Hmmm, I like that idea.” He said suggestively.

“If you think we are having sex before going to my parent’s house, you are crazy, they would smell it all over us. That is not the first impression you want to make.” She said, lightly slapping his arm before jumping out of the bed, “We can go over the names of everyone that is going to be there.”

He sat up, his broad chest on full display for her, “How many people are in your family?”

“Well, I have five siblings, four of them have found their soulmates, and my parents. There are a few other members of our pack that are not blood related. All in all, probably 15 people, plus us, will be there tonight.” She told him, slipping back into the clothes she had worn the night before.

His eyes were wide, “That is a lot of people to meet all at once.”

She smiled at him, “You will do great, just be charming.”

“Charming? I don’t know if I’ve ever been charming a day in my life.” He said with a scoff.

She leaned over him, “I think you are extremely charming.”

“I apparently have a magical advantage with you.” He replied before she kissed him.

She pulled away before they would get caught up in something she really didn’t have the time to finish. She shook her head, “You are so distracting but I have to go now.”

He pouted but gave her a nod, “I shall see you 5 then.”

“At 5.” She confirmed before walking out to the living room, Nymeria looking at her from the couch, “Come on girl.”

The wolf looked about ready to defy her but then got up with a long, slow stretch before walking over. Arya shook her head, her faithful companion was acting strange ever since she had met Gendry. Arya was out to attach the leash, not something Nymeria really needed but was required by city ordinance, when she bypassed Arya and went into the bedroom instead.

Arya followed behind her wolf in shock and was not surprised to see she had jumped up onto the bed, her head now in Gendry’s lap. Arya sighed, “We have to go now girl.”

The wolf looked at her without moving her head.

“She can stay with me today, I don’t mind.” Gendry replied, “What should I feed her?”

Arya blinked at her new mate with wide eyes, “Are….are you sure you don’t mind?”

He shook his head, “I like her and she seems to like me. We can use the day to bond.”

“Hmmmm, okay. I have her on a raw feed diet, so if you have any meat, she can have that.” She said, still confused at how this situation was going.

“I had bought some steaks, not the best quality but something can be fired up quickly. Would that be okay?” He asked, his hand never stopping its movement on Nymeria’s head.

Arya nodded, “Yeah, that will be good.”

Her phone buzzed, the timer she had set going off, “Shit, okay I really have to go. You sure you’ll be alright?”

“I will be fine. Go.” He insisted with a big smile.

She returned it, “See you both at 5 then.”

“We shall be there.” He promised and she rushed to leave, knowing that things were quickly conspiring to keep her in place.

* * *

Gendry was nervous about how this dinner was going to go. He guessed that Nymeria could sense it, as she had only left his side when he’d taken a shower and when she spent a half hour exploring the yard around his cabin while he sat on the porch. He had emailed an update to his sister Mya, who was in charge of their internal communications for the organization, but did not mention Arya or that he had found at least two separate packs of werewolves in the area around Winterfell. He wasn’t ready to have his entire family descend on this place, at least not until there was a truce made between their families. He could only assume that his Father would have a lot to say about him being in a relationship with a Stark.

He sighed and looked over at Nymeria, happily sitting in the passenger seat as he drove them back to Arya’s townhouse. He wished he could have her confidence about this, he had a feeling the wolf was much more than just a simple pet.

He parked the car and Nymeria ran up to the front door without prompting, causing Gendry to laugh a little. Arya already had the door open when he got there, smiling at him while she pat Nymeria on the head, “Hey.”

“Hey.” He said in return and kissed her quickly before she brought him inside. 

She led him into the dining room, a few photo albums were on display. They both took a seat, she pointed at a photo of a couple in their fifties, “These are my parents, it was taken a few years ago at their thirtieth wedding anniversary.”

“They look like a lovely couple.” He replied, and meant it. Her father looked strong and regal in the photo, grey just starting to come in at the edges of his dark hair. Her mother was beautiful, her red hair shone in the outdoor lighting of the photo. They looked perfect for each other. 

“I like to think so.” She flipped to the next page, another couple, both much younger and with a grey wolf sitting between them, “This my eldest brother Robb and his wife Myrcella, she is a lion, not a wolf.” The next was another young couple with a white wolf, “This is Jon, who is actually my cousin but his parents died when he was young and my parents adopted him, and his mate, Ygritte, a wolf.” The next page were two women with a brown wolf with reddish hues, “Sansa, from the phone, and her mate Margery, who is a banshee.”

“She looks a lot like your mother.” He commented, seeing the strong resemblance between the two women.

Arya nodded, “Everyone says so.”

Gendry caught a tone in her voice, “You take after your Father though.”

That made her light up a little and she went to the next photo, a couple with a grey, brown, and reddish wolf, “This is Bran and his mate Jojen, who is a green seer.”

The next photo was Arya and Nymeria, and he smiled at her, “I see who your true love is.”

“I have room in my heart for two.” She teased with a smile, flipping the page again, “This is my youngest brother, Rickon.”

The young boy was also in the photo alone except for a wolf, though his wolf was pure black. Gendry pointed to the wolf, “Do you all have a wolf?”

She nodded, “We found them camping about ten years ago. Six pups for six Stark children, we took it as a sign.”

He flipped to the next page and looked at the trio on the page, “Who are these guys?”

Arya laughed, and pointed to each, “Theon, Tormund, and Harwin. They are other members of our pack, the single bachelors.” Another page, this time a pair of women, “Meera and Willow, the single bachelorettes.”

“You weren’t kidding about the pack being large.” He said, feeling the intimidation starting all over again.

Her hand landed on his arm, “I need you to trust me, everything will be fine.”

“I don’t…..I don’t really do well in large crowds. Edric is the Baratheon you want for that, that boy could sell water to a fish.” He said, trying to make it sound teasing, but from the look on her face, he wasn’t sure he succeeded. 

She looked away a moment before saying, “I know I should say something comforting, but all I can think is, this is your family now too, there is no need to be anxious around them.”

“You’ll be by my side the whole time right?” He said, keeping a firm stare on her grey eyes.

She leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss, “The whole time, Nymeria will be there too.”

He chuckled and looked down at the wolf laying at their feet, “She hasn’t left me so far today, why would she start now?”

Arya laughed and looked over at the clock, “We should go, it will take us about 20 minutes to get there.”

He nodded and got to his feet, “Let’s get this over with.”

* * *

Arya watched his reaction as they pulled up the ancient house of the Starks, their family had lived in the house for a thousand generations. She loved the castle, even with the renovations it had over the years to modernize it.

Gendry’s eyes were wide and he said, “You grew up in a fucking castle?”

She laughed, “Yes. The Baratheon’s have a castle too.”

“This is very different from Storm’s End.” He muttered under his breath but she heard it all the same.

Sansa and Margery were standing outside the front doors and she took a deep breath, “The first introductions.”

“Your sister and her mate right?” He said, and she saw his hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly as they pulled into a parking spot.

“They will be some of the easier ones.” She said, and gave him an encouraging smile, “I promise they won’t bite.”

He looked at her and shook his head, “You just think you are so funny.”

“I am hilarious.” She said and unhooked her seatbelt, “Come on.”

He nodded and got out of the car, Nymeria jumping out before he shut the car door.

Ayra hooked her arm around his and pulled him forward, “Sansa, Margery, this is Gendry.”

Sansa squealed and rushed forward, bypassing the hand he had held out for her and gave him a hug, “I am so excited to meet you.”

Marg walked up and placed a hand on her mate’s back, “Dear, let the man breathe.”

Sansa released her hold on Gendry, “Sorry.”

“It is alright.” Gendry replied, his hand finding its way back to her, “It is good to meet you too, Arya told me a little about all of you.”

“Did she now?” Sansa said, looking over at Arya, “She told us almost nothing about you.”

Arya rolled her eyes, “Can we do this with everyone? I would rather not have to repeat myself a dozen times.”

Margery laughed, “They are waiting for you in the den.”

Arya nodded and they followed the two inside, Nymeria having run off to find her own siblings, “Who is all here?”

“Everyone.” Sansa said, “You didn’t really think that they wouldn’t want to meet your soulmate did you?”

“I guess not.” Arya replied, trying to center herself. If Gendry was just a normal mortal man, there would be no issues to have to worry about, but he was a Baratheon. That would cause issues, she just wasn’t exactly sure what those issues would be yet.

The den was a large space on the main floor of the castle, warm and well furnished to hold the dozens of members of the Stark pack all at once. Everyone was silent as the four of them walked in, Sansa and Marg went to take their seats, while Arya led Gendry to the center of the room.

Everyone kept their eyes on them as they positioned themselves. She looked at Gendry, his eyes kept moving from member of the pack to another, never really resting on one person.

She took a deep breath, “Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Gendry, he is my soulmate.”

The room erupted into cheers and exclamations of congratulations all while people threw out random questions. She could not figure out exactly what anyone was asking or who was asking it. She also didn’t know how to make them all stop.

“Enough!” Her father shouted and the room quieted instantly, he looked around before landing on Arya, “My dear girl, I am so happy that you have finally found your mate. When did this happen?”

She smiled, “Five nights ago, while I was working the night shift at the clinic, Gendry brought in a dog he had accidentally hit. He was so worried about the poor thing. We touched hands and then we went on a date the next night.”

Catelyn spoke up next, “Your sister told me about the date, we were both so curious as to what could have happened. I am glad it was the reason we were all hoping for.”

“Thank you mother.”

“How old are you Gendry?” Robb asked, Mrycella sending him a warning look.

“26.” Gendry answered quickly, his hand sweety in her own.

“Where are you from?” Harwin shouted out, “Don’t sound like a Northern boy to me.”

“I was born in King’s Landing before I moved to Storm’s End as a teenager.” He answered, “I came up here a few weeks ago for business.”

“What business do you do?” Catelyn asked the followup question.

Gendry looked at Arya, this was the moment they had both been worried about.

Arya took a deep breath, “What I am about to say might seem a little out there but I need you to remember that Gendry is my soulmate.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Ygritte asked, and Arya could see that the wild red head was already on the defensive.

“My name is Gendry…….Baratheon.” He stated.

The room was silent for a long moment, longer than she was expecting them to be. The moments trickled on longer than she knew what to do with, finally, her father spoke, “Is this some sort of joke Arya?”

“It is not Father. Gendry is a Baratheon. He and I are also very well aware of what we both are. A werewolf and a hunter.” She told them all and the looks turned from confusion to anger.

Theon shouted first, “You told a hunter about our pack? Not just any hunter either, but a Baratheon?”

Arya nodded, “I did.”

They all began talking at once again, though it was not the happiness that was present the first time but instead anger.

Eddard once again silenced everyone with a single word before he turned to Arya once again, “Have you completed the bonding?”

She kept her back straight and her eyes locked on his, “I have.”

Eddard nodded, “Then Gendry Baratheon is now a member of this pack. Shall we all go into the dining room for dinner?”

They all slowly began to filter out of the den and toward the dining room. Arya kept her hand in Gendry’s and held him back, once they were alone she said, “I told you it would be alright.”

He smiled at her, “It could have gone worse, on that we agree. From the looks though, I don’t think they like me very much.”

She rested a hand on his cheek, “Once they get to know you, they will.”

He nodded, “Should we tell them about what we plan to do?”

“Not tonight. Tonight, it is all about proving they can trust you. We can focus on the plan tomorrow.” She assured him, “Come one, my mom made a roast, I can smell it.”


	5. Tell it True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya and Gendry talk with her parents and the pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello wonderful readers!! Thank you so much for all the support you've shown for this story. 
> 
> This chapter really sets up what the second half of the story will be, hopefully you enjoy!

Arya was surprised that everyone was basically silent throughout dinner, only the occasion passed this or that. There was no small talk, just a weird, awkward silence. She could feel that Gendry was feeling this too but he did not seem as output by it as everyone, it made her curious to see what a Baratheon dinner would be like. 

As soon as it was clear everyone was done eating, besides Rickon who never seemed to be full in his growing teenage state, Ned got to his feet. Everyone raised their eyes to look at him, he simply looked at Arya and Gendry, “I would like a private word with you both, please come to the office.”

Arya nodded quickly and got to her feet, she could feel the eyes of her pack on her, but she refused to make eye contact with any of them as she and Gendry shuffled past. They followed quietly behind her parents as they went to her Father’s office, it was from where he conducted all official pack business. 

The silence continued as Arya led them to the pair of chairs that were stationed in front of his large weirwood desk. As a girl, Arya had always been fascinated by the desk, made from an old weirwood that had fallen during a storm centuries before. The Stark pack leader at the time wanted the tree honored, so he planted seeds from the tree around Winterfell, and used the wood to create the desk, as well as the master bed and a few cribs. That way, the magic of the weirwood could comfort many generations of Starks for centuries more to come. Now, she felt as though the wood was angry at her for bringing a hunter before it.

“Arya,” Ned said and she snapped her grey eyes up to the identical orbs of her Father, “I need to know everything.”

“It was exactly as I told the entire pack Father. Gendry and I met by chance when he brought an injured dog into the clinic. We went on a date the next day, Willa can confirm it if you’d like, she served us dinner. After dinner, I told Gendry everything.”

“That was three days ago.” Catelyn said, speaking up her own chair behind the desk, “What happened between?”

Arya opened her mouth to tell them but Gendry bet her to the punch, “That would be my fault. I was concerned about everything that Arya had told me. I did feel the connection instantly and while that surprised me, I never considered there was anything more behind it. Arya told me we were soulmates and then a tattoo appeared on my arm out of nowhere. Then..” He trailed off and took a deep breath, “I will admit, I have been taught my whole to hate two things, the supernatural and the Starks. The latter I had no issue with, I have always considered my father to be caring about this feud over nothing more than a bruised ego. I was not prepared for her to tell me she was a werewolf, let alone prove it to me by showing me her eyes. I needed a few days to come to terms with it all.”

Arya waited for her parents to say something but the silence continued to stretch and she felt her leg begin to twitch in nervousness. Without taking his eyes of her parents, Gendry reached over and laid a comforting hand on the leg. Arya saw that this did not escape either of her parents' notice, and she wondered if the silence had been a test.

“Did you tell your father or any other member of your family about this?” Ned asked, his eyes trained on Gendry.

“I have not. They all know that I am here, in Winterfell, but they know nothing about you or Arya.”

“What did you bring you here?” Catelyn asked, her blue eyes carefully watching him Arya noticed, her mother was excellent at knowing when someone was lying.

Gendry glanced at her, they had said they weren’t going to bring it up tonight, she nodded her head quickly and he turned back to her parents, “I am investigating the recents murders that have taken place in the area. I was looking over all the information about the cases and something about them did not sit right with me. Arya told me that the latest victim was your brother and I offer my condolences. I came here to find the killer and take care of them.”

Arya watched as her father tensed, a common habit that had formed whenever Benjen’s death was brought up but it was her mother that spoke, “You could tell from the official reporting on the cases that it was supernatural in nature?”

“We do not need to only rely on the publicly available information for our investigations. I saw the official press reporting on the cases, as well the police documents. I saw the clear claw mark indications, I had not narrowed the species responsible, but I did recognize it as not completely human killings.” Gendry told them, keeping his composure well under the pressure.

“Did you narrow down your suspects?” Ned asked.

Gendry smiled, “I had been here barely a week when I met Arya and afterwards, my mind was on other matters. She told me who is responsible however.”

Ned turned his eyes to Arya, “You are going to start a war between the packs.”

“No, I am not.” She replied, “Gendry is a Baratheon hunter, with no public connection to us. The fact that he and I are mates are only known to our pack. The Bolton’s cannot retaliate for the actions of the hunters.” She then narrowed her eyes at her father, “Besides, Ramsay spilt first blood when he killed Uncle Benjen.”

“We do not have the proof necessary for Roose to believe it.” Catelyn said, bringing up this fact yet again and Arya was sick of it.

“We will never have enough proof for that man unless we actually get video evidence of Ramsay butchering one of his victims and even then, it would not surprise me if he accused us of faking it somehow.” Arya replied and then looked back to her father, “The Baratheons can handle the Boltons for us.”

Ned looked down at his desk for a moment, his eyes unfocused as he thought. Arya knew the look well and remained silent, Gendry following her cue. It was many minutes later when Ned looked up again, “Will your father be willing to do this?”

Gendry nodded, “I will leave out your involvement completely, he will not know that I have even been in contact with you until it is all over.”

“You do plan to tell him eventually though?” Catelyn asked, catching onto his choice of words.

“I do. I am mated to Arya, that is nothing I can keep a secret from my family forever. It is something that can wait until after the Boltons have been dealt with. Telling him beforehand could delay things and we need to get rid of Ramsay before he can pick another victim.” Gendry explained.

Arya watched her parents carefully, this was plan that she and Gendry had thought up before falling asleep and after a wonderful round of sex. It had seemed like a good plan at the moment, and hearing it back now it still seemed that way to her.

Ned nodded, “We agree to your plan.” He got to his feet, handing out his hand for his wife and mate, “Now, you need to tell it to the rest of the pack.”

Arya nodded and they got to their feet as well, she knew this was her plan and therefore her responsibility. She just hoped no one would challenge her too harshly.

* * *

Gendry was a little nervous as he entered the main den again, everyone had taken up the positions they had when he first arrived. He could tell that everyone had a designated space in the den. Two empty chairs had been placed near the large stone fireplace. Arya took his hand and led them over to the chairs. There was silence as Ned and Catelyn took their positions on a double large backed chair.

Ned then looked to Arya and with a nod said, “Tell them all about your plan my dear.”

Arya nodded, “Ramsay Bolton is a menace that needs to be dealt with. We all know he is the one responsible for not only the death of all those women but Uncle Benjen as well.” She paused, he assumed to let them get an idea of where things were going to go from here, “Father says we cannot prove it was Ramsay and therefore we cannot retaliate for fear of starting a full on war between packs. I propose that we use the Baratheons to deal with Ramsay for us.”

“Why would they help us?” Theon shouted out, “Just because you happened to be mated to one now does not mean that the rest of them will be as accepting.”

Gendry spoke up, “I do plan to tell them anything about any of you. I will not mention that I have been in contact with you. I will just tell them that I have discovered the killer but that he is a member of a larger pack and I require assistance to deal with him. That is nothing out of the usual, they will have no reason to doubt me.”

“You plan to hide your bonding with Arya?” Mrycella asked and Gendry noticed a look of disgust at the idea flash across all of their faces.

“Only until after the Bolton’s have been dealt with. My Father would become far too focused on the Stark aspect of things and that would delay dealing with Ramsay. I will tell them all about Arya afterwards.” Gendry promised, watching to see their reactions.

“Will your family be able to handle a pack like the Bolton’s? I know the Baratheon’s are renowned hunters but the Bolton’s are vicious.” Jon asked, looking at him with eyes the same color as Arya’s.

“I believe we will be able to. We have dealt with werewolf packs before.” He said and instantly felt the air in the room turn tense.

“Once we have dealt with the Bolton’s, we can speak with the Baratheons, maybe start a new narrative for the future.” Arya said, and then looked them each in the eye before saying, “There are always those that overstep their places. As much as we dislike them, hunters like the Baratheons are necessary to keep our community a secret from the world at large. We can show that not every supernatural is a treat.”

“You think that is why the gods connected you and Gendry, do bring the two groups together?” Bran asked.

Arya nodded, “I do. Why else would they bond me with a hunter?”

Gendry did not have an answer for her but he was amazed at how well she was able to turn the room onto her side. She was amazing and he was so lucky to have her be his and for him to be hers.

He was expecting this to be the point when they were asked to leave the room so they could come to a decision and then get back to them. Instead, everyone just started talking at once. He had an idea how to keep track of who was taking which side. He just sat there and watched as the discussion unfolded in front him. Arya would interject every now and then, he really had no idea how anyone was keeping track of the conversation. It wondered if perhaps it was something supernatural or just because this was how things always were. He only noticed that it stopped because the room fell into silence once more. He looked up to see everyone was looking at him. He spared a quick glance to Arya and she was smiling, so he assumed that meant things had gone in their favor.

Ned stood up, “Gendry, you are now a member of this pack through your mating with Arya. We are going to trust you in this matter. Call you family, deal with the Boltons.”

Gendry smiled at them, “Thank you sir.”

“We will be wanting to meet with your family when all of this is over. It is time for the Starks and Baratheons to end this feud.” Ned added on and gave him an almost wolfish smile, “We all need to be able to get along for the wedding of course.”

Before Gendry could ask any questions about that, the pack surrounded him and embraced him each one by once, welcoming into the family. He had never felt so much affection at one time in his entire life but instead of being overwhelming, it was comforting. Almost as if he was finally home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, don't be afraid to let me know what you are thinking about everything. Until next time!


	6. A Day to Ourselves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who is reading for your support! I love it all!!
> 
> I only barely edited this and am posting from my phone. Hope you enjoy!!

Arya woke up with a heavy weight draped across her stomach and she smiled, snuggling back into the body that was folded around hers. They had fallen into bed last night after they’d gotten back from dinner with the pack and had let Nymeria out. She had expected them to have sex again, as they had every night since he’d shown up at her door. Instead, they had curled into each other and fell into a peaceful sleep. She found the gentle intimacy made a heat spread throughout her body, she was comfortable with him in a way she had never felt with another person before.

A crack of thunder caused her to flinch and frown, she hadn’t remembered storms in the forecast, but she wasn’t also completely sure if she had checked it yesterday.

Gendry frowned against her neck, “What is it?”

“Just a thunderstorm.” She told him, smiling even though he couldn’t see it, “Nothing that we need to worry about.”

“Let's stay in bed all day then.” He said, his arm tightening around her, “Unless you have to work?”

She shook her head, “Day off.”

He rocked up his hips, pressing his morning erection against her ass, “I know just what we can do first.”

She laughed, a pure thing caused by his unexpected comment. He started kissing her neck while still rocking his hips, she had a feeling this was going to be her new favorite morning routine.

* * *

Gendry was surprised at how comfortable he already felt in Arya’s space. He was not unused to waking up in a strange place, he had traveled all over Westeros hunting, but this was different. This felt like he was home, much like how he had felt being embraced by the members of the Stark pack. It was something he could never even really say he felt when he was around his blood family. Mya and Bella were the easiest of his siblings for him to talk with, his older sisters would not really allow him to pull away. His younger brothers were harder to relate too, especially Edric, who really was not cut for the hunter lifestyle, probably why he would run the other family business.

A mug of coffee appeared in front of him, drawing him out of his thoughts, “Thank you.”

Arya nodded and sat down beside him, “You seemed far away.”

“I was just thinking of my family.” He told her before taking a sip of the coffee, it was strong and not overly sweet, just how he liked it.

She fidgeted a moment before setting her own mug down on the table, “Do you think they aren’t going to go along with the plan?”

He chuckled, “I wasn’t even thinking about that. No, I was thinking about how in the last few days I have felt more at home with you than I ever really have with them. Even the affection your family showed me last night, I think I only have ever been hugged a handful of times, and only by my sisters, and cousin.”

She reached forward and placed a hand on his arm, “I know that every family is different, every upbringing is different. I need you to know that if you are ever overwhelmed by the physical affection, all you need to do is say so.”

“That is not what I am saying but thank you.” He said, grabbing her hand and bringing it up to kiss the back of it, “What I mean was, I have felt very welcomed by your family.”

She smiled, “I am glad.”

“I cannot promise you will get a similar welcome from mine. They will not be rude but they will be a bit suspicious. I have never had a girlfriend before, let alone a…..fiance? Your father mentioned a wedding.”

“Only if you want to have one. Weddings are not something that is required by our community but most choose to do it anyway. It makes things easier to explain to the outside world.” She explained and scooted closer to him, “I am okay with whatever you want to do.”

“I have never thought about getting married before. I honestly never assumed I would be in a relationship either.” He told her.

“I was always waiting for you, so this is my first relationship too. We can figure out how it works together, there is no need to move faster than you are comfortable with.” She assured him, “I can just be your girlfriend for now.”

“I like that.” He said and leaned forward, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

She smiled as they pulled away and then reached over him to grab the remote off the end table, “Now that we have that settled, let’s watch something on Netflix.”

She settled in against him, resting her head on his chest while she began to scroll through the selections and he smirked, “Does this mean we are officially Netflix and chilling?”

She laughed and teased, “We already did the chilling.”

He relaxed into the couch, “Doesn’t mean we can’t do it again later.”

“I will consider it. How about Jaws? It is one of my favorites.” She said, stopping on the picture.

He nodded, “Me too. Play it.”

She smiled and selected it before putting down the remote and settling against him. A few minutes in, just as the girl was being dragged through the water, he felt the couch move. He looked over to see that Nymeria had jumped up and now had her head on Arya’s folded legs. He smiled at the sight and felt more relaxed than he had ever remembered being for. This was the perfect life, he wished he could just stay on the couch with his girl and her wolf forever.

* * *

Arya woke up to the sound of a phone ringing and drowsily lifted her head. Without putting much thought into the action, she reached forward and grabbed the phone off the table. She swiped the green button and said, “Hello?”

“How is this and why are you answering my brother’s phone?” An annoyed feminane voice.

Arya’s eyes instantly snapped fully open and she sat up quickly, dislodged Gendry’s arm from around her shoulders and Nymeria from her feet. Arya stuttered, not exactly sure she knew what to say.

“Arya, what is it?” Gendry asked, rubbing at his eyes.

She handed him the phone, “It's your sister.”

“My sister?” He took the phone and his own eyes went wide before he brought the phone up to his ear, “Hey Mya.”

“Don’t hey me! Who was that?” Arya heard the woman yell and got up to give them some privacy. She collected the empty coffee mugs, the caffeine apparently did nothing to keep them awake, and left them next to the kitchen sink. 

Nymeria went over to the door and let out a low whine, her indication that she needed to go out. Arya slipped on some shoes, grabbed the leash and took her wolf out the patio door, giving Gendry some privacy to talk to his sister. The air had a bit of chill after the rain, especially as the clouds had not cleared. She watched them as Nymeria went about her business. Arya knew it would be a quick visit, the wolf was not a fan of rain or how wet it left everything. The clouds were darkening as she watched, another storm threatening them.

“Come on Nym, it's going to start again.” She said and gave a gentle tug to the leash, the wolf racing back towards the door just as a thunder clap sounded.

She pushed open the door and Nymeria went straight to her bed as soon as Arya had unhooked the leash. She laughed at how put out the wolf seemed, like the rain was her own personal enemy.

“Yes Mya.” She heard Gendry say from his spot in the living room, “I know it is unlike me.” Arya didn’t want to overhear, but the townhouse was not all that large, “She is wonderful, you’ll love here.” She bit her lip and smiled. He let out a chuckle, “I promise you can meet her after we have dealt with the pack I told you about.” He paused and she decided to come back into the room, he gave her a smile, “Yeah, anyway, I am kind of in the middle of something Mya. I will email over the information for everyone tomorrow.” He smirked, “I am busy today.” Then he laughed again, “I really am Mya. See you soon. Bye.” He waited a moment, Arya assumed for Mya to finish before he hung up and looked at her.

“Good chat?” She asked nervously, knowing they had not planned for his family to find her just yet.

He nodded, “She was very curious to know why a woman was answering my phone. I told her that I had met someone and we were now dating. She was very surprised.”

“Not mad though right?” Arya said, moving into his open arm.

“Not at all, she is very happy for us. She has thought for a long time that I just needed to find someone to settle down with, as I am not good at the one-night stand thing.” He confessed and pulled her tight against him, “Mya had a fiance, Michael, he was killed in a horrible car accident when she was 22. Ever since, she just wants to make sure the rest of us can still find our happy endings.”

“That is horrible but she shouldn’t count herself out of love again in the future.” Arya commented and then tilted her head to look at him, “I overheard you have plans for today?”

He smirked, “Yeah, you see there is this amazing woman I have a soulbond too, I planned on Netflix and chilling with her all day.”

She laughed and reached for the remote, “What should we watch now? Maybe something that we won’t fall asleep during?”

“Whatever you want is fine with me.” He said before leaning down to whisper, “Or we could do the chilling part.”

She smirked, “I think that is a wonderful idea.”

She stood up, throwing the remote down once more and holding out her hand. He was quick to take it and get to his feet, following behind dutifully as she led him back upstairs to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! More Baratheons coming up in the next chapter 😉


	7. The Stags Come to Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Baratheons arrive in town and Arya meets her mate's family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello wonderful readers. Thank you as always for the lovely comments. I think the title and summary let you know what is about to unfold here, hopefully you enjoy!!

Gendry was nervous as he sat on the porch of his rented cabin, which he had really spent very little time in the last week. He preferred Arya’s house, it was already starting to feel like a place he could call home. His whole family could not meet there however and so he needed to make sure things were ready for the mission planning. The cabin had three rooms, meaning that they could all stay there, as long as his sisters weren’t against sharing. Stannis had already said he and his men would stay in the hotel, but the cabin would be used as the staging ground. They planned to have the whole mission completed within a week.

He got to his feet as the first large black SUV pulled up the drive. Even with his nerves, he could not help but smile as his Bella hoped out of the back and ran up to him, “Shit, this place is beautiful.”

He laughed, “It does have a nice sense of scenery about it.”

Bella looked around, “Well, where is the girl?”

“I wasn’t going to subject her to all of you right away.” He teased.

Bella huffed and turned around to yell at Mya, who was unloading the bags from the car, “Mya, she isn’t here!”

He could hear his sister’s laugh even at this distance before she yelled, “Did you even think maybe she has a job that requires her presence at 2pm on a Tuesday?”

Gendry laughed as Bella sighed before instantly calming as Robert walked up to them, Bella left to go help Mya. He took a deep breath, “Hello Father.”

Robert grinned at him, “I hope you know what you are doing lad, settling down with one woman? Not an easy job.”

Gendry held his tongue, knowing that now was not the right time to get into an argument like that with a man like his father, “It will be with her.”

“Oh, I think he is already in love.” Mya cooed as she shoved her way in between them and went into the house, “Loverboy, which one is my room?”

He sighed and followed after her, pointed her toward the room between the larger main bedroom and the one closest to the living room. He also said, “Remember, you and Bella have to share unless someone wants to sleep on the couch.”

“I remember.” She called as she walked down the hall, “Go help her unload the car.”

He shook his head, Mya took the elder sibling role to mean she could boss him around, but he found it rather enduring. He looked at his father, he had moved into the dining room and was looking over all the evidence he’d collected and laid out. He decided to leave him be and went out to the car. Bella had most of the belongings sorted into piles.

“About time you came out to help. Where do you think we should put the weapons?” Bella asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked at the selection before them.

“Living room or a shed are our only options.” He answered and picked up one of the crates, “Living room is probably best.”

“Won’t your girlfriend be confused by them when she comes over later?” She asked, following behind him with her own box.

He shook his head, “We are going to meet her and this great burger place down by the lake for dinner later. She is not coming up here while you lot are around.”

“I am starving.” Mya replied, walking into the room, “Hopefully this place we are going to has good food.”

Robert looked over at them, “Stannis, Davos, and the others are checking into their hotel. They can look all of this information you’ve gathered while we are at dinner. What reason did you tell the girl we are all coming up here for?”

“That you all wanted to meet her.” He said, smirking at Mya who just returned it with one of her own, only keeping it to a half truth instead of an all out lie.

Robert grinned, “That we do.”

* * *

Arya was early to dinner, she got to the diner and asked for a table for six, and then slowly sipped on her ale while she waited for them to arrive. Sansa had assured it was completely normal when first meeting your mate’s family, she had been when with Marge’s family. She took comfort in that but it didn’t make her any less nervous. Luckily her waiter this time around was not someone to which had a connection to her family, just a regular human member of Winterfell.

She had picked an outdoor table for them, the weather was clear of any storms, and they wouldn't have to yell over the music here. Her vantage point let her see when a large black SUV with Stormland plates pulled into the lot. She instantly sat up straighter and watched with wide eyes as the four people exited the car. They were all tall, with jet black hair. Arya could see that while they might all have different mothers, it did not matter as the Baratheon genes for sure won out in the coloring choices.

Gendry smiled when he saw her before they entered the diner, having to check in before being led out the patio. She stood up as the hostess led them over. Gendry came around and stood next to her, “Arya, these are my sister Mya and Bella, and our father Robert.”

She smiled widely at them, “It is such a pleasure to meet you. Gendry has told me all about you.”

“We have heard almost nothing about you, but I am happy to meet you too.” Mya replied before they all took their seats.

Robert picked up the menu, “What’s good here?”

“They make the best burgers and you’ve never had a crispier fried chicken.” Arya said without missing a beat.

“I am going to the chicken then.” Bella said, flipping the menu over and looking over her options.

Mya was quiet before she said, “This Northern speciality burger, is it venison?”

Arya nodded, “It is delicious.”

“I am willing to give it a try.” She said, putting down her menu, “What about drinks?”

“Arya introduced me to this local beer, you should give it a try.” Gendry said, giving Arya a wink before picking up the menu, “I had the burger last time, think I'm going to try the chicken this time.”

“You really can’t go wrong with either choice.” She said, glad that things were going well so far as the waiter came up.

“Sorry for the delay, I am Jason, can I get you folks started with some drinks?” He said with a toothy smile.

“I want to try that beer you mentioned.” Bella said.

Arya smiled, “That would be the Pinewolf Beer.”

“I’ll have one of those.” Bella said, flashing the waiter a smile of her own.

“Same for me.” Mya said, giving him a quick smile before looking back at the menu.

“Same.” Gendry replied.

“And you sir?” He asked, turning to Robert.

The large man looked up from the menu, “Might as well go with the flow, I’ll have the same.”

“I will be right back with those.” He said and walked off toward the entrance to the bar.

“Do you know what you want Dad?” Bella asked.

Arya noticed that Robert didn’t look over at his daughter to answer, “Trying to decide between this Monster Burger or the Whole Chicken dinner.”

“Try the burger Dad, I think it sounds delicious.” Mya suggested.

Robert nodded, “You are right, it does.” He placed the menu down with a flourish and then he turned to Arya, “Now that we have the food sorted. I would love to hear more about this lovely lady that has convinced my eldest son to settle down.”

Arya was a bit thrown off by the sudden change of conversation but she was adaptable, so she sent him a smirk and said, “What would you like to know?”

Robert let out a chuckle, “I might be starting to like you. Let's start with the easy stuff. How old are you? Do you have a job? You from Winterfell originally?”

“Dad.” Gendry said shortly but Arya simply reached up and placed a comforting hand on his arm.

“I am 21, I work as a veterinary technician at the local animal hospital here in town, and I have lived in Winterfell my entire life.” She answered without missing a beat.

The waiter came back then, placing down the requested drinks before stepping back and pulling out a notepad, “We ready to order?”

The table nodded before reading off their orders, he left just as quickly as he had arrived once they were finished.

“Do you have a large family Arya?” Mya asked before taking a sip of her ale.

She nodded, “I have four brothers and one sister. As well as their spouses and a few others we’ve brought in to our family over the years.”

Bella smiled at her, “That sounds like a lot of people or all have over for family dinner.”

“It can be, but we do alright. Didn’t you think so Gendry?” She said, turning her head to smile at him.

He nodded, “I am sure that table had to be custom made to fit everyone.”

“You already met her family?” Mya said, looking back between the two of them, “You don’t like meeting anyone.”

Gendry shrugged, “I wanted to meet them.”

“Oh shit, this is more serious than I thought. I need to think of more deep diving questions.” Bella said.

Arya smiled at her, “I promise you that I will answer anything you want. Gendry is the one for me, so I want to make sure we can all be friends as well.”

“You haven’t even known eachother a month. You cannot know that already.” Robert protested.

Arya shrugged, “I believe that when you know, you know.”

Gendry lifted one of her hands and kissed her knuckles, “I completely agree.”

“This is so fucking sweet. I wish Shireen was here to see it.” Mya replied, watching them with affection.

The food arrived before anymore could be said on the subject of their relationship. 

Arya noticed that the food was mostly consumed in silence, a few pass this or pass that, but there was no conversation in between bites. It was very different from what she was used to with her family, where usually everyone was always talking over everyone. She also noticed that none of the Baratheon’s seemed put off by this, they acted as though everything was completely normal. She didn’t want to break the silence first and just quietly ate her burger.

Bella finished her plate of fried chicken legs and thighs first, “This was the best chicken I have ever had. If I lived in this town, I would get so fat.”

Mya laughed as she finished off her burger, “This place sure can cook.”

Arya smiled at them, “I am so glad everyone likes it.”

“You knew they would.” Gendry teased and she blushed, looking away from his intense stare only to realize that Robert was looking at her.

She wasn’t sure what she was seeing on his face, it was almost like he didn’t know what to think of her, but also mixed with something else. She wanted to ask about it but his phone choose that moment to ring. He got up and walked away from the table to take it.

Mya smiled at her, “I am glad we’ve gotten the chance to meet you Arya. There really used to be a time where I never thought Gendry would find someone to settle down with, I have never been happier to be wrong.”

“He told me about his past and he knows all about mine. I think we just had to wait for the right time to find each other.” She replied, flashing a smile before putting her hand in his, “It was fate.”

“This is sickeningly romantic. In the best way.” Bella said, “I need to find this.” That caused both Mya and Gendry to start laughing, “Hey, it could happen!”

“You are right Bells, so sorry.” Gendry replied, giving them that charming smile he claimed to not possess.

Bella huffed and crossed her arms before cracking a smile, “You are right though, my track record shows otherwise. Just need the right man, or woman, to make me change my ways.”

“I am sure one day you will find them.” Arya said, sending her new sister a comforting smile.

Robert sat back down with a small thunk, “Sorry about that, just some business.” He then reached over for the check that Jason had dropped off and placed a hundred dollar bill in there, much more than the bill called for she was sure, “The boy can keep the change.”

Arya was surprised he was being so generous, not everyone was, but she would not say anything. She followed as everyone got to their feet, not realizing that paying the check meant that dinner was over. They walked back out to the parking lot and she was a bit sad that the night would already be coming to an end.

“Have a good night Arya, it really was great to meet you.” Mya said, giving her a smile before walking over to the SUV.

“What she said.” Bella said with a small wave.

“We shall see each other again before we head back to Storm’s End I am sure. It was a pleasure to meet you young lady.” Robert said and held out his hand.

She shook it, “You as well sir.” 

He let her go quickly, walking back to the car.

“Sorry about him. Sometimes he is the most charming man you could ever meet and other times….well, you saw.” He said, resting his hands on her hips, “I wish I could come home with you tonight.”

“I do too, but you have important work to do.” She reminded him and leaned up to place a kiss on his lips, “I will be thinking of you though.”

“And I you.” He promised before giving her one last kiss before going over to join his family.

She watched him ago with a small smile, she was sure his sisters were on board with her, but his father, only another meeting could tell her for sure.

* * *

Gendry wasn’t sure what to think of the silence in the car as they drove back to his cabin. Stannis and his men had stayed behind to work out a strategy to get into the Bolton ancestral castle where they still resided, the Dreadfort. Mya pulled the car up, both her and Bella jumped out immediately but his father stalled him with a single question, “Is that girl of yours a Stark?”

Gendry froze with his hand still on the handle to the door, his mind running wild before he simply said, “Yes.”

“How many times have I told you that Stark’s can’t be trusted.” Robert shouted, his loud voice easily filling the small space.

Gendry sighed, “I know that Lyanna broke your heart, but Arya will never do that to me, she couldn’t.”

“When you met with her family, did they know who you were?” He asked.

“They did and they accepted me. I even spoke with her father, Ned. He said that he hoped that this would be a good opportunity for our families to put the past behind us.” Gendry said, turning to fulling look at his father.

Robert scoffed, “What did Lyanna have to say about it?”

“Lyanna died over twenty years ago.” Gendry spat out before jumping out of the car and heading into the cabin, hoping his father would let it go for now.

Stannis looked up from the table when he walked in, “About time, where is your father?”

“He is coming.” Gendry replied and took his place around the table.

Robert followed a moment later, slamming the door behind him, “What did you figure out?”

Stannis was used to his brother’s outbursts and spoke in his usual calm demeanor, “The castle itself is nearly impossible to get into without being discovered. We would need an inside man to make it work. I suggest we find a way to lure Ramsay out of it, easier that way.”

“What of the rest of the pack?” Robert asked, “Have you figured out how many members there are?”

“From what we can tell, nine, all male.” Stannis replied, “Which is unusual for a werewolf pack.”

“Are we thinking of doing a honeytrap then?” Bella said with a sigh, “I would really rather not be anywhere near this guy if I could help it. I saw what he did to those bodies.”

“You would not be alone. He would have no reason to suspect you and once you have him alone, they rest of us would be there before he could even get a chance to act.” Stannis assured her.

“From the recon that Axel did the last few days, Ramsay and his men frequent a bar in the city of Dreadfort. You and Mya can go in for a few drinks, attract their attention and get them to offer to take you somewhere else.” Stannis said, outlining the plan.

“We would do it together? We’ve never done it together before.” Bella said, looking between Stannis and their sister.

“This is the best course of action. There will be more than one of them this time, I think we would all be more comfortable if either of you weren’t in there alone.” Davos assured them all.

“If you both agree, we can do this as early as tomorrow.” Stannis said, his cold blue eyes looking at his nieces.

Gendry watched as his sisters had a silent conversation with their eyes, something they had developed over years of working closely together. He saw Bella give a nod before Mya looked at their uncle, “We will do it.”

Robert hit his hand on the table, “Excellent, tomorrow, we go on a wolf hunt. Everyone make sure they get a good night’s rest.”

They all nodded and slowly dispersed, the others returning to their hotel while Gendry went to his room. He was not ready to continue to talk with his father and from the slam of his father’s door, he was sure it wasn’t over yet. He pulled out his phone and quickly sent Arya a text letting her know the plan was set for tomorrow. He laid on the bed and waited for her response, the nerves for tomorrow already settling in his bones.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, don't be afraid to let me know what you think!


	8. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gendry and the Baratheons go after Ramsay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello wonderful readers. Thank you for the lovely comments as always. We are getting closer to the end of this fic and I want to thank you again for all the support!
> 
> Warning: Some brief violence in this chapter, pretty sure it is like network TV level, but giving a warning all the same.
> 
> Enjoy!!

Gendry was still not completely sold on this plan, he knew logically that it was the best chance they had to get Ramsay and his followers, but he didn’t like the idea of using his sisters for bait. They were both very capable of defending themselves, he knew this too, but the worry was still there. Ramsay Bolton seemed like a different kind of monster. He wasn’t killing for food or primal desire, it seemed like pure sadistic pleasure to him. 

A crackle in his ear brought him back to the now, “Pretty ladies at 6 o’clock Garrett.” It was Ron’s voice, one of their two men inside the bar.

“The view has improved.” Garrett replied, letting Gendry and everyone else listening that had eyes on the girls. 

Neither Mya or Bella had a listening device on them, those were too easy to find. The real world didn’t work like spy movies, with tiny devices hidden in jewelry, but he wished it did during moments like this. He wasn’t worried, they had multiple ways to track them if they left the bar. It was annoying to not really know what was going on however, only through whatever the men told them or what the camera on Ron’s phone showed them as he recorded them and streamed it back to the SUV. Stannis was watching that however, Gendry was the driver and had to be ready to go at a moment’s notice. 

“Targets are walking toward the bar from the south side.” Davos’ voice said in his ear, and Gendry looked up just in time to see the men walk into the bar.

He took a deep breath, this was his job, just like any other, he needed to remember that.

“Trust your sisters. If I didn’t, they wouldn’t be in there now.” Stannis’ gruff voice said from the backseat.

Gendry looked in the rearview mirror but Stannis was focused on the tablet in his hands, “That didn’t take much time.”

“Looks like they got company now, we wasted our chance.” Garrett reported.

“Why would they want the pair of us when they can have the six of them?” Ron responded, letting them know the number of targets.

Things were working as planned, at least so far, he needed to relax and focus. There was no telling how long they would be in the bar and the sun hadn’t even started to set yet. He might be in for a long night, he wished Arya was with him, he longed for her calming presence. He wondered if that was part of the bond she always mentioned they shared. One day he would have her explain everything to him about the bond and soulmates and all of it. Would their children be werewolves too? Have soulmates of their own?

He heard Stannis make noise before saying, “You are set up near the woods right? Good, I am thinking this party is going to be on the move soon.”

Gendry was surprised by this and looked at the clock, they’d been in the bar for an hour already, he had been so lost in his thoughts that the time had sped by. He shook his head, thinking about Arya and their potential future was lovely but it distracted him, he needed to focus.

“There they go, leaving with them instead of us.” Garrett lamented.

“Because they were the ones that asked, idiot.” Ron responded and then said, “We should go too, have an early day tomorrow.”

That was the code, Gendry started the engine. Stannis shifted in his seat and connected his tablet to the USB cord. The nav screen in the console came to life, showing moving red dots as they headed in the direction of the woods on the edge of town. It was moving quick, they must have had a car.

“Davos, did you see them come out the main entrance?” Stannis asked.

“Negative, there must be a side exit.” Davos replied.

Stannis shook his head, “Always is. Let’s get a move on, everyone head to the woods.”

Gendry pulled out into the nearly empty street and started the short drive to the dark woods on the edge of the town, the Dreadfort castle visible in the distance. He felt like it was casting a deep shadow over them and the town, maybe that was because it was a ghost town so early in the evening. Winterfell had still been bustling when Arya had taken him through a stroll that lasted until after dark.

He pulled off onto the edge of the road when he noticed the dots had started moving slower, a walking pace now and not too far ahead of them. The other cars pulled up behind him and they all moved as a unit to exit and begin their trek into the dense forest. Stannis was their navigator, giving hand signals to indicate which directions they should head. Gendry was slightly thrown off the shear silent of the woods. He had hunted in forests before, there was always the nose of animals, even in the distance. This one eerily silent, as if it knew that blood would soon be spilt under the canopy. Stannis halted, holding up his hand for them all to do the same before he slipped the tablet into a pouch on his leg and pulled out his pistol instead. He gestured, they were straight ahead 200 yards. Everyone spread out and then began silently moving forward. 

Gendry knew the silence at one advantage, if the girls were attacked, they would scream and there was no chance they would miss it. Instead of a scream, he heard Bella’s voice, “How much longer is it going to be? These are not really the best shoes for walking miles through the woods.”

He crouched, knowing his height could be a giveaway when stalking his prey.

“we are almost there. I promise it is worth it darling.” A male voice answered her.

“It better be.” Bella huffed.

Gendry carefully followed the voices, inching forward until he had a visual on the group. Six men were walking with his sisters. Two of them were larger and were bringing up the rear, almost like guards. A tall, blonde skinny one kept looking around, as if the forest was setting his nerves on edge. Two of the others were just average, that was all Gendry could think of them, he would have never given either of them a second glance on the street. He recognized the last one from photos, the one leading them all on this little walk through the woods, it was Ramsay Bolton.

Gendry took a deep breath and looked to his right, he could see Stannis nearby. They locked eyes and the older man nodded. Gendry gave a nod as well and centered his sight on the nearest wolf, Mya was in the way of a clean shot on Ramsay from his angle, but the skittish blonde had no such protection. He squeezed the trigger on his revolver, the older style gun was better suited to firing the softer silver bullets. 

The bullet hit the man in the center of his back, embedding in the spine from the he seized up before falling to the ground with a scream. What happened next was a mix of bullets, claws, and fists. His sisters had been carrying silver knives, hidden in the folds of their clothing. The two average looking wolves had stood no chance against their hand-to-hand skills. The other men took care of the two larger wolves, they had partially shifted and would need to be dealt with as a team.

Gendry turned from that fight to find Ramsay, the man was on the edge of the clearing they’d attacked them in. He was standing off against Davos, Stannis, and Robert. The three older men fired their guns, but werewolves were quick and Ramsay avoided the bullets. He actually thought that Ramsay looked like he was enjoying himself, that this was all a game. He annoyed Gendry and he rushed forward, holstering his guns and pulling his knife. He was quicker that the others, he would do better in a hand-to-hand match.

Ramsay smirked at him, his teeth long and sharp, “I’ve seen you before.” He dodged Gendry’s lunge, “I’ve seen you with the beautiful Arya.” He swiped out at Gendry but he only managed to snag his shirt sleeve, “Are you going to kill her next Baratheon?” 

Gendry snarled, “Leave Arya out of this monster.”

Ramsay cocked his head, “I know you’ve been in her bed, I’ve seen you go in and not come out until morning.”

Gendry stabbed forward again, aiming for Ramsay's chest, he missed his target but did draw blood on his arm. 

Ramsay looked down at the cut and smirked, “First blood to you Baratheon, but I shall win out. Then I shall kill those pathetic creatures with their guns, take your pretty sisters for trophies, and then I will go over to Winterfell to pay Arya a visit.”

Gendry knew he was taunting him, that he was trying to get Gendry to screw up. He couldn’t let it happen, he needed to win this. He took a deep breath and said, “You’ll have to kill me first, so far all I’ve heard is a lot of talk for a man who kills innocent women for sport. A true monster.”

Ramsay continued to smile at him, “Do you think you can get under my skin hunter? I am the monster that goes bump in the night, I steal into homes and take the innocent. I use them for my own pleasure and discard them afterwards. I have no need for a soulmate, they are a weakness, and I rid myself of mine. Once I rid Arya of her’s, I wonder if she will fall happily in my bed?”

Gendry snarled at him before saying, “You couldn’t give pleasure to a dog you stinking piece of shit. You actually going to do something about it or just talk me to death?”

Ramsay winked before attacking, his fingers now tipped with dangerous claws and his eyes glowing golden. He had Gendry pinned to the ground within moments, the claws digging into his shoulders and he lowered his mouth toward Gendry’s neck. Gendry had spent his life learning how to survive in all types of battles, he gripped his knife tighter and rolled his shoulder. The movement threw his mostly useless arm up and he dug the knife into Ramsay’s side, twisting it in deeper. Ramsay screamed, removing his claw from Gendry’s shoulders, and he felt a feeling return to the muscles. He rolled them over, putting Gendry over the top of his foe. He removed the knife from Ramsay's side and drove into his chest. 

Gendry looked down at the dying werewolf, “You’ll never touch her.”

Ramsay smirked at him, blood staining his teeth, “You won’t either.”

Gendry felt pains in his legs and looked down, Ramsay’s last defense was to stab a finger to Gendry’s thigh. The man died with his finger still inside of Gendry’s leg, he pulled it out and stood up. Davos was at his side in an instant while Stannis and Robert made sure Ramsay was dead, “You alright lad?”

Gendry nodded, “Just a few scratches, nothing…” He paused and stumbled, he felt very weak, and looked down at his leg, it was bleeding heavily. He looked at Davos, “My leg…” He felt himself falling forward but his mind went black before he hit the ground.

* * *

Arya hated being left behind, she knew it was important that she was near what was about to happen. If she had been there, the Boltons would know, and that would start a war. The Baratheons were considered neutral, hunting everyone equally. She couldn’t stop pacing, Nymeria watching her from her bed. The nerves would remain until Gendry called her and told her it was over, that he and his family were alright.

The sun was almost set when she felt it, a horrible pain in her shoulders, and she screamed out. Gendry was hurt, he was hurt and she wasn’t there to help him. She went to the bathroom and tore off her shirt, the faint outlines of bruises were on her once pristine shoulders. Right into the muscles, his arms would be practically useless. 

Just as she was about to go grab her phone, she had to grip the counter with all her strength to remain upright as an intense pain filled her leg. She pulled her leggings down, revealing a single, round bruise on her thigh. She felt her blood start to pump faster, the pain was too much for this to have been nothing, but this did not tell her how deep it went. There was an artery near that spot, she knew this from some biology classes, and she knew Ramsay knew it too. His victims showed the proof of that on their bodies.

Once she was able to put weight on the leg, she pulled up her pants and raced to the living room. She picked up her phone and instantly called him. The call rang a few times before going to voicemail. She groaned in frustration, she didn’t have the numbers to anyone else in his family. She started to pace, the phone gripped firmly in her hands before she made a decision. She pulled her shirt back on, slipped into her shoes, and raced to her car. There was only one trauma hospital in the area. If he was hurt as badly as she thought he was, that was where they would take him, and that was where she was going to be.

* * *

Gendry woke up feeling like someone had taken a brick to his head. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes, not at all surprised to see that Arya was looking back at him, her grey eyes shining with unshed tears. He smiled at her, “Hey.”

“Hey? You almost die on me and all you can think to say is ‘hey’?” She said before leaning forward and giving him a searing kiss, “You are never doing something foolish like that without me ever again, is that clear?”

He nodded and then grimaced at the pain it caused before saying, “Yes, m’lady.”

“Good.” She replied with a smile of her own, “Your family had a lot of questions, I decided to just tell them the truth.”

He went to sit up but found he couldn’t move his shoulders. He looked down, both of his arms were in slings.

“Ramsay tore a few of the muscles in your shoulders. You’ll still be able to use your hands for simple things, but you have to limit your shoulder movement as much as possible.” She told him, “You will probably also find some pain in your leg later, that is because they had to stitch your artery closed again.”

He plopped his head back against the pillow, “Can you raise this thing so I’m sitting at least?”

She nodded and picked up a remote off the side of the bed, she pressed a button and the back slowly moved upwards, “That better?”

“Yeah, what do you mean you told them the truth?” He asked now that he could get a better idea of his surroundings, just a normal private hospital room, he’d been in one before.

“When I arrived at the hospital without being called, they wanted to know how I knew to come. Then they asked about Ramsay kept mentioning me, which I could only really speculate on. Then they weren’t going to let him into the room, you are my soulmate, they do not get to keep me from you.” Her eyes flashed gold for a moment, “I got angry and forgot to control my eyes. I am pretty sure the one reason your father didn’t kill me on the spot was because we were being watched. Mya was the one to calm him down. They are in the waiting room now.”

“The doctors let you in here before my family?” He asked, confused at the thought.

She smirked, “The chief of medicine at the hospital just might be a family friend.”

“I should not be surprised.” He said with a small chuckle, “I should have said this before I almost didn’t get a chance to say it. I love you.”

He was sure her smile could have lit up the whole room before she leaned forward and kissed him, pulling back just enough to say, “I love you too.”

They kissed a little longer before he thought to ask, “How did you know I was here?”

“The bond.” She said, her tone saying it was obvious. At his confused look, she stretched her shirt to the side, showing a bruise on her shoulder where his own wound was, “When either of us experiences extreme physical harm, the other will feel and reflect it.”

He shook his head, “There is so much you still need to explain about all of this stuff.”

“We have time.” She promised, giving him one more kiss before getting to her feet, “Are you ready for you family? They are pretty mad.”

“No point in putting it off any longer.” He said and adjusted as much as he could, trying to show a strong front, even if he didn’t have use of his arms.

Arya just gave him a quick smile before she disappeared into the hall. He had no idea where the waiting room must be, but he figured it couldn’t have been far because she wasn’t even gone for five minutes.

Mya and Bella rushed to his bedside, cooing over him and asking him how he felt. He smiled at them, always the worriers, and assured them he would be fine. He assumed he was on some pain meds, besides the still faint headache, he didn’t feel any pain.

“Now that you are awake, you can explain what the fuck you are doing fucking a bloody werewolf?” His father shouted at him.

He saw Arya instantly tense at his side, he wished he could reach out and hold her hand. He looked at his father, “In the supernatural world soulmates are a real thing. Arya is mine.”

Bella gasped and looked between them, “That is a real thing?”

Arya nodded, “Every supernatural creature has a soulmate. Though it is rare for a mate to be human, it is not completely unheard of.”

“You expect us to believe this?” Robert said, his blue eyes burning.

Arya held her arm out, the soulmark on full display, “This is not a tattoo, it is the mark that binds me to Gendry. He has a matching one, it appears once you have found each other.”

Bella leaned over her brother and carefully lifted the material of his sling to look at his arm, “She is right, there is a matching mark.”

“Easy enough to fake.” Robert sneered, “A werewolf and a Stark, double reasons to not be trusted.”

“A Stark?” Stannis said, and Gendry had momentarily forgotten his uncle was even in the room, “Like father, like son in that regard.”

Robert glared at his younger brother, “Do you not have thoughts on this?”

Stannis looked away from his brother and looked to Arya instead, “I am guessing that you are the one who told Gendry that the Boltons were the ones killing those people.” Arya nodded, and he continued, “Why did your pack not just deal with it yourselves?”

“My father did not want to start a war with the Boltons. We have been at pieces for centuries and while we all knew what Ramsay was doing, there was no way to actually prove it. If we killed Ramsay, his father would have declared a war. When Gendry showed up and I learned he was my soulmate, it seemed like fate was giving us all an answer. The Baratheons could kill the Boltons, the last werewolf family that still kills humans, and then together we can bring on a new era.” Arya explained, “One where we do not have to fight each other any longer.”

“You want us to stop hunting?” Robert asked, his voice angerier that Gendry could ever remember hearing it before.

“No, there are still those creatures that get out of control and need to be dealt with. I am suggested that we could start to work together.” Arya replied, “Not all supernaturals are monsters that need to be put down.”

“What does your family think of all this?” Mya asked, “I remember you said they met Gendry.”

“They were skeptical at first but the gods brought Gendry and I together for a reason. What other reason could there be except to bring peace?” Arya asked in return before turning to Robert, “My father hopes that you would be willing to meet with him. He says that there is much that you both need to speak about and have for a long time.”

“You family betrayed me once already, I will not allow it again.” Robert said and would have stormed from the room if not for the fact that Arya used her speed to block the door.

“My family did no such thing. My aunt did not love you, not the way you claimed to have loved her at least. She found her soulmate, that isn’t something a person can deny.” Arya told him, “She would have still been your friend had you allowed it, as would have my father. They both wanted to do what I am trying to do now, end the violence between our houses. They never meant to hurt you, but you never gave them the chance to explain either. Let my father explain now.”

The room fell into a silence as Arya and Robert stared each other down, he towered over her by more than a foot, but she did not waver. It was Mya that broke the tension, “I think we should hear them out Father.”

“I agree.” Bella added, before all three Baratheon children looked at Stannis.

Gendry watched as his uncle looked at them each in turn before walking up to his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder, “I would like to hear what Stark has to say.”

Robert shrugged off Stannis’ hand and said to Arya, “Fine, I will meet with him. Alone and in a public place.”

Arya smiled, “How about the main square in Winterfell at 1pm tomorrow?”

Robert gave one quick nod, Arya stepped aside, and Robert stormed out. Stannis went to follow but paused and said, “I hope your father knows what he is doing.”

“He does.” Arya assured him before he left after his brother.

Gendry let out a deep breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding and said, “Well, at least there was no more bloodshed.”

They all let out a laugh and Arya was once again at his side. He knew there was still a lot they needed to figure out but now that everything was out in the open, he felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. He looked at his sisters and said, “Are you both really okay with this?”

Mya nodded, “As soon as Arya burst into the hospital demanding to know where you were, I knew there was something special about her. I would never do anything to cause you pain little brother, even that means accepting that I will have a werewolf for a sister-in-law one day.”

“I think this will be good.” Bella said, “A new path for the Baratheons and the Starks. Welcome to the family Arya.”

Arya grinned at them and he felt the joy she felt at being accepted. This was his family and even if his father never really came around to them, he would still have his sisters, and that was good enough for him. He just hoped everything worked out tomorrow, the last thing they needed was another family member in the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise we will get some more Arya POV in the next chapter. Don't be afraid to comment! Love to know what you are thinking!!


	9. Looking to the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ned and Robert met up; Arya and Gendry discuss the future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello hello wonderful readers!!! Thank you so much for all your support for this story!! This is the final, full chapter, only a small little epilogue to go.
> 
> Enjoy!

Arya didn’t want to leave Gendry, but he would need a few more days in the hospital before they felt comfortable enough with his leg to leave, and she needed to be at the square. Robert had insisted it would be just him and Ned but Mya agreed with her that they should be nearby, just in case. So, they left Bella to keep Gendry entertained and went down to the square to watch their fathers meet face to face for the first time in almost 30 years.

They picked a bench with an eyeline to where they could already see her Father waiting, but behind him and far enough away that unless they were being looked for, they probably wouldn’t actually be noticed. Mya pulled out a small device that opened up into a small little dish and then pulled out a pair of wireless earbuds. She handed one to Arya and said, “Here, we should be able to hear it from here with this.”

“Where did you get that?” Arya asked, placing the earbud in her ear.

“Amazon.” She said with a wink.

Arya laughed but focused on her father, who was simply enjoying watching the people of Winterfell walk about the square. Arya looked back at Mya, “Are you truly okay with Gendry and I being together?”

Mya looked away for a moment before nodding and said, “I really am. I cannot really explain why, but something about watching you two together. What you have is special, and I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of that. Not that I am not really sure I could.”

“I am glad. I would have hated to be the thing that separates Gendry from his family.” She said, her eyes drifting back to her father.

“My father is a man set in his ways and his ideas.” Mya said, “The way he talks about his youth though, I can tell he misses what he used to have when he had a friend like your father. I also think he has this romantic idea about what his relationship with Lyanna was. I was already born when they met, and he convinced Bella during the time that he assumed he was with Lyanna. At least, from what I can tell.” Mya shook his head, “I wish he could see his way around his own wounded pride.”

Arya nodded, “I know that my father will do his best to mend the fences, that is what he always does. You’ll see once you meet him.”

Mya started and then her eyes went wide, “Shit, my dad.”

Arya didn’t turn around, knowing that movement attracted attention.

“He didn’t see us.” Mya said with a sigh, “Let’s hope this doesn’t end in bloodshed.”

“Some yelling at most I’m guessing.” Arya assured her.

“Hello Robert.” Her father’s voice said, a bit faded and cracked in her ear.

“Ned.” Robert’s voice responds.

Arya can see them from here, they are just staring at each other while staying a few feet apart.

“Your daughter has seduced my son.” Robert announces suddenly.

“She did no such thing, the gods simply brought them together.” Ned replied, “I have never seen her smile the way she does when she looks at your son. Did you not notice it when you saw them together?”

Robert scoffed loudy, “She is pretty and smart, she seduced him, just as your sister did to me.”

“Lyanna never seduced you Robert, and she never loved you the way you wanted her to. You never even kissed more than that one time. She did not betray you when she married Dominic, she simply met her soulmate. Just as Gendry has met him.” 

“Soulmates. Sounds like a bunch of romance novel bullshit if you ask me.” Robert said before adding, “I saw her eyes, when she forced herself into my son’s hospital room. You’ve been keeping a lot of secrets Ned.”

She could not see her father’s face, but she had an idea of his sad eyes and expression in her mind’s eye, “I could not tell then Robert. You would not have taken it well. I had to protect my family, my pack, and my community.”

“What do you want to happen now Ned? You want out children to marry and bring peace between our two warring houses like something out of the Westeros of old.” Robert asked, the sarcasm at this belief clear even over the static.

“I do.” Ned answered honestly, “The war between hunters and supernaturals has gone on long enough. The world has moved on around us, we should follow suit. Our children are bonded by the gods, it is the perfect opportunity for peace. A peace you and I could not create.”

Robert did not respond, he simply seemed to continue to stare at her father, before quietly saying, “What happened to her Ned?”

“Let's have a seat. I can tell you all that you want to know.” Ned said, and sat on the bench, it took a moment, but Robert joined him.

Arya took the earbud from her ear, Mya following suit. They sat quietly for a moment before Mya said, “What did happen to your aunt?”

“A car accident.” Arya replied, “She and her mate, Dom, had gone to a wedding for one of his friends. The road was icy and they went off the road. Their son, Jon, was being watched over by my parents that night, and he stayed with us after.”

“How old was your cousin?” She asked.

“Not even a year. He has no memory of them, only a few photos, and a singular home video.” Arya replied and got to her feet, “I think they will be fine. I am going to head back to the hospital.”

Mya nodded, and quickly packed her equipment away, “I cannot wait to meet the rest of your family. I hope that it won’t take too long before the Starks and Baratheons are one, giant, family.”

“I hope that as well.” Arya replied, and together they walked back to the car. The afternoon light somehow seemed brighter than it had when they had arrived.

* * *

It took two days in the hospital before they allowed Gendry to go home with Arya, because that was his home now. His sisters and father were staying in town for another week, remaining in the cabin he still had paid for another month. Stannis, Davos and the others had already left for the stormlands. They would relay the new peace agreement to the rest of the team and things would progress from there. He knew that eventually he would have to return to Storm’s End, he had a condo to sell and stuff to collect. Right now though, he was perfectly content to lay with Arya in her king sized bed, with Nymeria curled at their feet while they watched tv.

“This is nice.” Arya commented at some point, he was even sure how long they’d been home, but her head had been resting gently on his chest for sometime.

“It is. I never thought I’d have this. It is perfect.” He confessed, softly pressing his fingers into her back, he still didn’t have the best mobility in his arms and wasn’t not allowed to lift anything that weighed more than a few pounds.

She nodded and the silence returned, but it was one of comfort, of peace.

His eyes turned to the tv once more, he wasn’t even entirely sure what they were watching, but at the moment, a young boy was throwing a ball for his dog. It reminded him of a few questions that had surfaced in his mind the last few days. He cleared his throat, “Can I ask you something?”

Arya popped her head up and looked at him, “You can ask me anything.”

He smiled at her, “Do you want children?”

She nodded, “One day I would love to have them. I would like it to just be ourselves for a few years though. Do you want them?”

“I had honestly never considered myself being a father before a few days ago. It was just something that never seemed like a possibility because I had never found a woman to settle down with. I had decided a long time ago that I would never be like my father, a dozen children by a dozen different women. It is irresponsible. With you though, I think it would be amazing if we could have our own little family inside of the large one we are already apart of.”

She smiled, a brilliant smile that he promised to himself he would make happen every day of his life if he could, “I love that idea.”

He returned her smile, “Would our children be werewolves?”

“Most likely. From what we can tell the werewolf gene is dominant, at least with other supernaturals. There haven’t been that many human and werewolf offspring that I know of, but those that I do, they are all werewolves.” She told him, “Does that concern you?”

He shook his head, “Just educating myself. So, because they will be werewolves, they will have soulmates of their own?”

“All supernaturals have soulmates, so yes, if they are wolves, they will also have soulmates.”

He nodded, taking in the information, “You said the bond was how you knew I was hurt, that it created the bruises. What else does the bond do?”

She tilted her head, “It can vary between couples and it can grow over time. My parents, for example, have been together for 30 years, they can sometimes hear each other's thoughts. The pain bond, what this was, is a very common thing.”

“Should I be expecting anything else popping up soon?” He asked, and she laid her head back down on his chest.

“I don’t think so. The longer we are together, the more things might manifest, but really, only time will tell.” She told him.

He nodded, he could live with that answer. There was just one more thing he wondered about, “Are we like, married now?”

She giggled, “No and yes. We are not legally married. In the eyes of the gods, since we have consummated the bond, we are. Does that bother you?”

He shook his head, “I already know that I am spending the rest of my life with you, the label of it does not really matter. I do like the idea of calling you my wife though.”

“There is no need to rush. We are together, we are happy, and we are safe. All the rest of it is just table dressings.” She answered, “One day, when we are ready for it. We can have a big wedding with both of our families present and share our love with everyone. Today, I just want to do this.”

“I have no problem with that plan.” He assured her, and they both went back to watching the tv. The boy was no longer on the screen, instead the dog is watching an interaction between who he assumes are the boys parents. It brought a smile to his face, he could picture them like this one day. He and Arya would be curled up on the couch, Nymeria laying on her bed, while their children played on the floor in front of them. It was a beautiful image, in it, one child has his black hair and the other Arya’s brown. He couldn’t see their faces, but he liked the idea of their eyes switching places with the hair. A mix of them both in each of the children.

He smiled as the tv became blurry before him and his eyes fell closed, the peaceful feeling of contentment allowing his medium strength pain meds to lull him to sleep. There might still be monsters out there that needed hunting, but with Arya at his side, he knew that they would not be a concern for him. Everything was looking bright for the future.

* * *

Arya noticed when his breathing evened out after he’d fallen asleep, a brief idea of following him entered her mind before she decided to do something else instead. She carefully slipped from the bed, not wanting to wake, and gestured for Nymeria to stay. The wolf looked at her like she was crazy for even thinking that she would be leaving the comfort of the bed. Arya shook her head and made her way downstairs. Once she was there, she pulled out her laptop and booted it up, going to a home shopping site.

If Gendry was moving in, and he would be, he would need a place for all his things. The spare bedroom was basically just a storage closet, they could clear that up and he could keep his stuff in there. At least until they decided they needed a bigger place. 

She smiled as she looked through the dresser options. She was no longer going to be living alone, they could spend all the time they wanted with each other. She could not wait to see what the future held for her and Gendry, she had waited for him for so long, and now she knew it was the right decision. She ordered a large dresser that matched the bedroom set she already had and closed down the laptop. With that little whim out of the way, she climbed the stairs and joined her soulmate in bed, falling into a peaceful afternoon nap, dreams of the future dancing in her head.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for sticking with me through this story. Epilogue to come in a few days!


	10. Winter Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have reached the end of this story! Thank you so much for all of your lovely support. I just wanted to leave the story with this happy event. Enjoy!!

Arya looked out over the courtyard, the snow had been cleared to allow for easy walking, but it had lightly started to fall right before the ceremony started. It was perfect and she was happy their family and friends had been supportive of a winter wedding. It was something they had decided on together, getting married with the snow surrounding them in the godswood. Sansa and Margery had taken the idea in stride and had decorated the ceremony with tiny fairy lights and discrete heaters to keep the guests warm. Luckily, traditional Northern wedding ceremonies were short, even with the added Southern flares for Gendry’s family, the thing was over in under a half hour. After that, the guests were all escorted to the warmed tent in the courtyard where the reception would be held.

“Penny for your thoughts, wife.” Gendry whispered into her ear, causing her to turn and smile at him.

“This day has been perfect.” She answered, her eyes landing on his stunning blue ones. 

He nodded, returning her smile with one of his own. Then his eyes drifted over their gathered guests, dinner had long been over and the speeches made, dancing had started. He stopped on his father, “I just hope that he doesn’t get too far into his cups tonight.”

“Edric said he would keep an eye on Robert tonight. You don’t need to worry about him.” Arya assured him, and sure enough, the younger Baratheon brother appeared and handed Robert a glass of water.

“Old habits die hard.” He confessed while grabbing her hand, “It is something you will just need to learn to live with.”

“We’ve been together for almost two years, I already have.” She teased before leaning in and giving him a kiss.

The crowd clapped and cheered, reminding them that they are very much on display at the moment. It was their own wedding reception after all.

She shook her head and pulled away, “I cannot wait to get you home and have my way with you.”

“We should just go now. You would miss us?” He replied and she turned to gesture to the hundred people before them. He laughed, “I suppose we should wait a little longer.”

“Then, this time tomorrow we will be lounging on the beaches of Lys.” Arya said, “A honeymoon in Essos.”

“It will certainly be a different type of weather.” He joked.

Arya nodded her agreement before she took one more looking around the room. The pack had grown since she had met Gendry, not even just because of the Baratheons. Mrycella had given birth to twin girls, one blonde like her mother and the other a red head like her father. It made Arya smile to see her big brother with a tiny human being in his arms. Ygritte had announced her own pregnancy last month, soon there would be a third baby in the family. She glanced over at Sansa, who was holding one of their nieces in her arms, and Arya thought it might not be long before Sansa and Margery started their family as well. Gendry leaned forward and kissed her forehead, “I see what you are looking at. Thinking of moving up our timeline?”

She shook her head, “No, a few more years just the two of us, then we can expand our family.”

“I will be ready whenever you are, wife.” He said and she had a feeling that he was going to be calling her that every time he had the chance for the foreseeable future.

“You two should get out there and have a dance.” Her mother said, appearing before them with a lovely smile on her face. Arya hadn’t even noticed the approach, too distracted by her husband.

Gendry got to his feet, his black tux only making her want to have even more, and he extended his hand to her. She gladly took it and he led her out onto the dance floor. 

“Ladies and gentlemen. It is my pleasure to introduce them for their first dance, Mr and Mrs Gendry and Arya Baratheon-Stark.” Her father announced and everyone cheered as they got to the center of the stage, “Let us all wish them a lifetime of happiness.”

Gendry pulled her close as the song that they chose for their first dance played over the speakers, the skirts of her white dress floated around their ankles. He gave her an expected twirl during the chorus before she was once again against him, “I love you.”

“I love you.” She said in return before he bent down to once again kiss her, this time they were well aware that everyone was watching. She didn’t care about any of that, all that mattered was that it was in the arms of the man that she loved and they were just taking one more step toward their future.

Gendry pulled her close once more and looked in her eyes, “Just once, for me.”

She smirks, knowing exactly what it is he is asking for, and she allows her eyes to flash gold for a few seconds. He smirks at her in return, “My beautiful wife. I am the luckiest man in the world.”

“Luck works both ways.” She assures him as they continue to dance, without a care in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again!!! <3

**Author's Note:**

> This got away from me, it will probably not be a one-shot. If you are interested in more, let me know, and I will work to add more to it after I finish my Gendrya Big Bang fic.
> 
> Don't be shy, let me know your thoughts!


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